rretzler (Robin) Reads Reams in 2018 - Chapter 2

Welcome



Hi, I'm Robin, and this is my 7th or 8th year with the 75'ers Group. I'm 54, and I've been married to Ed (54) for 26 years. We have two sons, Beckham (16) and Keegan (almost 13), and four cats, Picasso (12) and the kittens, Mycroft, Bandit, and J'Zargo (8 months.) Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus (the capital of Ohio) has been our home for the past 20 years. Our boys are involved in travel soccer and many school activities, and they keep us very busy driving them around. That may change when Beckham gets his driver's license soon.

I own a tax practice which I have run out of my house for the past ten years - prior to that, I was the Tax Director for one of the top 100 accounting firms in the US for five years, a shareholder in a small accounting firm for five years, and worked at Ernst & Young, an international accounting firm for 12 years where I headed the local tax compliance department. I have been slowing down my tax practice for the past few years intending to retire soon to spend time with my boys before they go off to college. Ed is in IT at Huntington Bank, a national bank headquartered in Columbus. Beckham is in 10th grade and is accelerated in math - he finished his high school math credits while he was still in middle school. He is currently taking Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses at one of our local high schools. Keegan is in 7th grade at a local middle school and is accelerated two years in math. He has been struggling with hearing issues since he was about four months old and has been wearing hearing aids in both ears for two years. He has been diagnosed with dyslexia, but he also does very well in school.

I learned to read at a very young age, and have rarely been without a book (or many) since then. My library on LT reflects those books that I have kept track of since I started as a member seven years ago. I am slowly trying to capture books I have read before that time, but I'm guessing that a lot of books that I have read will never be recorded as I have forgotten them. I am totally an addict, and the daily deals on Amazon for $1.99 will probably be my financial ruin. I just cannot help myself when it comes to a bargain of that sort!

I mainly read mysteries, science fiction, fantasy and children's/young adult books (along with my sons.) Specifically, most of the mysteries that I read are British mysteries in the style of the Golden Age of Detection, and I enjoy soft sci-fi, especially dystopian, a bit more than hard sci-fi. Until this past year, Beckham, Keegan and I read together every night, but it has been difficult with Beckham's course load to do this. I hope to start reading together again this year, but realistically it will be weekly, not nightly. In school, I never had to read many of the classics, so I am slowly going back to read some of those. I also try to read several best sellers each year. Additionally, I have been working my way through the Newbery, Hugo, and Nebula awards.

I proudly consider myself to be a geek (okay, maybe a nerd too). My favorite TV shows are Sherlock (BBC version) and Doctor Who (both classic and new series). We enjoy Marvel movies - The Avengers, Captain America, Doctor Strange, etc. - and also the Marvel TV series - Agents of Shield, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, The Punisher, etc. My other hobbies include making beaded jewelry and sometimes knitting. I love to travel, but since we have children who are quickly approaching college age, we don't do as much as we used to.

If we would win the lottery, the first thing I would do (aside from paying off the mortgage and setting aside the funds for college for my sons) is to go back to school myself! I love to learn and would probably take lots of psychology, philosophy and literature courses.

I'm so glad to be back with the 75'ers again this year and am going to attempt to visit more than I have in the past.

2018 Reading






List of Books Read in 2018

Books Read in January
Books Added to My Library in January
January Summary

Books Read in February
Books Added to My Library in February

Currently Reading

Challenges, Group Reads, etc

January to March Books Read

Kindle Preorders

Planned Reading

My Series

Prior Year Favorites

Newbery Awards

Hugo Awards

Nebula Awards

A Book A Year

Family Pictures

I thought I would share some pictures of our family.


Ed and I on vacation on the beach at Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 2017


Keegan and Beckham in Massachusetts showing our vacation tradition of trying on gift shop hats - here they try on Pilgrim hats in Plymouth, Massachusetts.


Picasso


Bandit, Mycroft and J'Zargo inspecting the snowflakes outside

Currently Reading




Reading Now

1. The Woman in the Water by Charles Finch
   
2. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem - listening
   
3. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia - listing with Keegan
   
4. The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Poetzsch
   
5. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling - reading with Beckham and Keegan
   
6. On the Beach by Nevil Shute
   
7. The Once and Future King by TH White
   

Up Next

1. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon
   
2. Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
   
   
   
   

Challenges, Group Reads, etc.



Group Reads

January
The God Stalk Group Read
Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens Group Read
Two Giudo's - Brunetti and Guerrieri - Mystery Read-Along- I'll just participate in the Donna Leon series - every other month - Death at La Fenice
Goodreads - Reading the Detectives - The Abbey Court Murder

February
Group Read of Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy - Assassin's Apprentice
Group Read Arthur & George
Goodreads - Reading the Detectives - Mystery Mile

March
Group Read of Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy - Royal Assassin
Two Guido's - Brunetti and Guerrier - Mystery Read-Along - Death in a Strange Country

Challenges

I plan only to loosely follow the challenges - if I read a book and it fits, I'll count it, but I am not going to plan my reading to complete a challenge. If I need a book to read, I'll consider something that fits the challenge.

PopReadHarderSugarEtc Challenges


PopSugar Reading Challenge

1. Book with characters who are twins - God Stalk by PC Hodgell
   
2. Book mentioned in another book - Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
   
3. Book made into a movie I've already seen - I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
   
4. Book published in 2018 - A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
   
5. Book by 2 authors - Last Train to London by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello
   
6. Next book in series - The Curse of Mabb's Farm by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello
   
7. Book with alliteration in the title - Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan
   
8. Book with a cover I hate - Alpha Alpine by Mary Daheim
   
9. Book about death or grief - Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
   
10. Book I meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to - Somebody at the Door by Raymond Postgate
    
11. Book based on a real person - A Dangerous Language by Sulari Gentill - based on Egon Kirsh's visit to Australia
    
12. Book with a title that's a character's name - Arthur and George by Julian Barnes
    
13. Book set at sea - Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham - starts out on an ocean liner at sea
    
14. Book with a fruit or vegetable in the title - Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke
    
15. Book about mental health - The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin
    
16. Book by an author with the same first or last name as you - Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
    
17. Book set in a country that fascinates me - No Man Dies Twice by Michael Smith - Germany
    
18. Book borrowed or given to me as a gift - The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths - Christmas gift
    
    

Read Harder Challenge

1. SciFi with female protagonist and female author - God Stalk by PC Hodgell (equating SciFi with Fantasy here)
   
2. Book with a cover I hate - Alpha Alpine by Mary Daheim
   
3. First book in new to me middle grade or YA series - Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
   
4. Classic of genre fiction - The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin
   
5. One sitting - The Man on the Train by Clara Benson
   
   

Modern Mrs Darcy

1. Recommended - God Stalk by PC Hodgell - recommended by Roni
   
2. Classic - Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
   
3. Read in a day - A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
   
4. Recommended by librarian or bookseller - Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer - Keegan's school librarian/teacher
   
   

Just the Facts, Ma'am Vintage Mystery Challenge

1. Why - an author I've never tried - The Abbey Court Murder by Annie Haynes
   
2. How - at least two deaths with different means - Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan
   
3. Where - set in a small village - Somebody at the Door by Raymond Postgate
   
4. What - title containing two words beginning with the same letter - Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham
   
5. When - during a special event - Death Makes a Prophet by John Bude
   
   

New Release Challenge

1. A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
   
2. Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan
   
3. Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke
   
4. Murder in an Irish Churchyard by carlene O'Connor
   
5. The Man on the Train by Clara Benson
   
6. Murder in Bloomsbury by D M Quincy
   
7. No Man Dies Twice by Michael Smith
   
   

Audiobook Challenge

1. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
   
2. Last Train to London by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello
   
3. The Curse of Mabb's Farm by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello
   
4. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
   
5. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin
   
   

NetGalley Review Challenge

1. Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan
   
2. Alpha Alpine by Mary Daheim
   
3. Somebody at the Door by Raymond Postgate
   
4. A Dangerous Language by Sulari Gentill
   
5. Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke
   
6. Murder in an Irish Churchyard by Carlene O'Connor
   
7. Murder in Bloomsbury by D M Quincy
   
8. No Man Dies Twice by Michael Smith
   
9. Death Makes a Prophet by John Bude
   
10. Paving the New Road by Sulari Gentill
    
    

British Book Challenge

1. The Abbey Court Murder by Annie Haynes
   
2. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
   
3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
   
4. Last Train to London by Neil Richards
   
5. The Curse of Mabb's Farm by Neil Richards
   
6. Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan
   
7. Somebody at the Door by Raymond Postgate
   
8. Arthur and George by Julian Barnes
   
9. Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham
   
10. Some Die Eloquent by Catherine Aird
    
11. The Man on the Train by Clara Benson
    
12. No Man Dies Twice by Michael Smith
    
13. The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths
    
14. Death Makes a Prophet by John Bude
    
    

Family Tree Reading Challenge

1. Keegan - 2005 - Arthur and George by Julian Barnes
   
   

Newbery Reading Challenge

1. 
   
   

British Author Theme Challenge

1. Debut - I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
   
2. 1970s - Some Die Eloquent by Catherine Aird
   
   

Classics-I-Have-Not-Read Challenge

1. Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens
   
   

Pick and Mix Reading Challenge

1. God Stalk by PC Hodgell
   
   

Space Opera Reading Challenge

1. 
   
   

Choose Your Own Adventure Reading Challenge

1. 
   
   

Men of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge

1. 
   
   

Read the Sequel

1. 
   
   

I Just Have to Read More of That Author

1. 
   
   

The Unloved

1. God Stalk by PC Hodgell
   
2. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin
   
3. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

January to March Books Read

January

1. The Abbey Court Murder by Annie Haynes -
   
2. God Stalk by PC Hodgell -
   
3. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon -
   
4. The Talisman's Trinket (short story) by PC Hodgell -
   
5. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens -
   
6. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith -
   
7. A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn -
   
8. Last Train to London by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello -
   
9. The Curse of Mabb's Farm by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello -
   
10. Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan -
    
11. Number Four: The Zero Finger Option by Colin Cotterill -
    
12. Alpha Alpine by Mary Daheim -
    
13. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer -
    
14. Somebody at the Door by Raymond Postgate -
    February
    
15. A Dangerous Language by Sulari Gentill -
    
16. Arthur and George by Julian Barnes -
    
17. Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham -
    
18. Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke -
    
19. Some Die Eloquent by Catherine Aird -
    
20. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin -
    
21. Murder in an Irish Churchyard by Carlene O'Connor -
    
22. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb -
    
23. The Man on the Train by Clara Benson -
    
24. Murder in Bloomsbury by D M Quincy -
    
25. No Man Dies Twice by Michael Smith -
    
26. The Long Arm of the Law by Martin Edwards -
    
27. The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths -
    
28. Death Makes a Prophet by John Bude -
    
29. Paving the New Road by Sulari Gentill -
    
30. The Woman in the Water by Charles Finch -

April to June Books Read - Just in case

My Kindle Preorders


This is where I keep up with the books that I have preordered on amazon.com. These are mostly series books for which I am waiting for the next installment

1. Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan - Mordecai Tremaine - January 2, 2018 - received, read
   
2. A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn - Veronica Speedwell - January 16, 2018 - received, read
   
3. The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley - Flavia de Luce - January 30, 2018 - received, read
   
4. Death of an Honest Man by MC Beaton - Hamish MacBeth - February 1, 2018 - received, read
   
5. Beau Death by Peter Lovesey - Peter Diamond - February 6, 2018 - received, read
   
6. The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen - February 20, 2018 - received
   
7. Murder in an Irish Churchyard by Carlene O'Connor - February 27, 2018 - received, read
   
8. The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George - Inspector Lynley - March 6, 2018
   
9. Money in the Morgue by Stella Duffy and Ngaio Marsh - Roderick Alleyn - March 8, 2017 (in UK)
   
10. To Die But Once by Jacqueline Winspear - Maisie Dobbs - March 20, 2018
    
11. Hall of Mirrors by Christopher Fowler - Bryant & May - March 22, 2018
    
12. The Roubaud Connection by Estelle Ryan - Genevieve Lenard - March 22, 2018
    
13. The Knowledge by Martha Grimes - Richard Jury - April 3, 2018
    
14. Twenty-One Days by Anne Perry - Daniel Pitt (new series) - April 10, 2018 - received
    
15. The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse by Alexander McCall Smith - April 10, 2018
    
16. Head On by John Scalzi - Lock In - April 17, 2018
    
17. Dark Tide Rising by Anne Perry - William Monk - April 19, 2018
    
18. So Pretty a Problem by Francis Duncan - Mordecai Tremaine - May 1, 2018
    
19. The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths - Ruth Galloway - May 15, 2017
    
20. Island of the Mad by Laurie R King - Mary Russell - June 12, 2018
    
21. Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom by Nancy Atherton - Aunt Dimity - June 12, 2018
    
22. The Quiet Side of Passion by Alexander McCall Smith - Isabel Dalhousie - July 17, 2018
    
23. Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding by Rhys Bowen - Royal Spyness - August 7, 2018
    
24. The Prisoner in the Castle by Susan Elia MacNeal - Maggie Hope - August 7, 2018
    
25. Don't Eat Me by Colin Cotterill - Siri Paiboun - August 14, 2018
    
26. The Paddington Mystery by John Rhode - Dr. Priestley - August 14, 2018
    
27. Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves - Shetland Island- September 6, 2018
    
28. The Dead Ringer by MC Beaton - Agatha Raisin- October 4, 2018
    
29. The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths - Stephens & Mephisto - 11/2/2018 - received
    

Planned Reading





I've never planned out what I read before. I've just had a vague idea of books that I might like to read, and I just picked my next books based on a whim. This year, I have decided to try to plan my reading a little. There are many books that I have wanted to read, but I never get around to, and I'd also like to plan to participate in various challenges. So...here is my attempt to plan my reading.

Planned Reading

January

1. The Abbey Court Murder by Annie Haynes
   
2. God Stalk by PC Hodgell - group read
   
3. Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens - group read
   
4. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon - group read
   
5. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
   
6. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
   
7. A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
   
8. Last Train to London by Neil Richards
   
9. The Curse of Mabb's Farm by Neil Richards - series
   
10. Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan - ARC
    
11. Alpine Alpha by Mary Daheim- ARC
    
12. Somebody at the Door by Raymond Postgate - ARC
    

Feburary

1. A Dangerous Language by Sulari Gentill - ARC
   
2. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin
   
3. Arthur and George by Julian Barnes - group read
   
4. Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham - series, challenge
   
5. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb - group read
   
6. Some Die Eloquent by Catherine Aird - series, challenge
   
7. Death Makes a Prophet by John Bude - ARC
   
8. The Long Arm of the Law by Martin Edwards - ARC
   
9. Murder in Bloomsbury by D M Quincy - ARC
   
10. No Man Dies Twice by Michael Smith - ARC
    
11. The Woman in the Water by Charles Finch - ARC - currently reading
    
12. Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke - ARC
    
13. Murder in an Irish Churchyard by Carlene O'Connor - ARC
    
14. The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen - preorder
    
15. Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths
    
16. Paving the New Road by Sulari Gentill - ARC
    

March

1. The Roubaud Connection by Estelle Ryan - preorder
   
2. A Dinner to Die For by Neil Richards - ARC
   
3. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon - group
   
4. The Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb - group
   
5. The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett - challenge
   
6. Seven Dead by J Jefferson Farjeon - ARC
   
7. Murder in Thistlecross by Amy M Reade - ARC
   
8. The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George - preorder
   
9. To Die But Once by Jacqueline Winspear - preorder
   
10. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu - Hugo
    
11. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli - Newbery
    
12. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
    
13. The Windup Girl by Paulo Bacigalupi
    
14. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill- Newbery
    
15. Murder in Mayfair by D M Quincy
    
16. Money in the Morgue by Ngaio Marsh - preorder
    

April

1. The Tenant of Wildfeld Hall by Anne Bronte - group
   
2. Twenty-One Days by Anne Perry - ARC
   
3. Lost Books and Old Bones by Paige Shelton - ARC
   
4. The Knowledge by Martha Grimes - preorder
   
5. Head On by John Scalzi - preorder
   
6. The Once and Future King by T H White- currently reading, challenge
   
7. The Portrait of a Murderer by Anne Meredith - ARC
   
8. The Marmalade Murders by Elizabeth J Duncan - ARC
   

May

1. Dressed for Death by Donna Leon - group
   
2. A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey - series, challenge
   
3. The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths - preorder
   
4. So Pretty a Problem by Francis Duncan - preorder
   

June

1. Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson - challenge
   
2. Island of the Mad by Laurie R King - preorder
   

July

1. Death and Judgement by Donna Leon - group
   
2. Aunt Dimity and the King's Ransom by Nancy Atherton - preorder
   
3. The Quiet Side of Passion by Alexander McCall Smith - preorder
   

August

1. The Children of Men by PD James - challenge
   
2. Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding by Rhys Bowen - preorder
   
3. The Prisoner in the Castle by Susan Elia MacNeal - preorder
   
4. Don't Eat Me by Colin Cotterill - preorder
   
5. The Paddington Mystery by John Rhode - preorder
   

September

1. Dark Tide Rising by Anne Perry - preorder
   
2. Acqua Alta by Donna Leon - group
   
3. The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - series, challenge
   
4. Wild Fire by Ann Cleeves - preorder
   
5. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton - ARC
   

October

1. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome - challenge
   
2. The Dead Ringer by MC Beaton - preorder
   

November

1. Quietly in Their Sleep by Donna Leon - group
   
2. Murder in Belgravia by Lynn Brittney - challenge
   

December

1. The Wench is Dead by Colin Dexter - series
   
2. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carre - series, challenge
   

Unspecified

1. The Dreadful Hollow by Nicholas Blake
   
2. The Daffodil Affair by Michael Innes
   
3. The Rich Detective by HRF Keating
   
4. The Secret Vanguard by Michael Innes
   
5. There Came Both Mist and Snow by Michael Innes
   
6. Hyperion by Dan Simmons - Hugo
   
7. The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Poetzsch - currently reading
   
8. On the Beach by Nevil Shute - currently reading
   
9. Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold - series
   
10. Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold - series
    
11. Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold - series
    
12. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold - series
    
13. Provenance by Ann Leckie
    
14. The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo
    
15. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
    
16. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
    
17. Watchmen by Alan Moore
    
18. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
    
19. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
    
20. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
    
21. Death in the Shadows by Paul McCusker - Xmas
    
22. Lonesome Road by Patricia Wentworth - series
    
23. The Mystery of a Butcher's Shop by Gladys Mitchell - series
    
24. Inferno by Dan Brown - series
    
25. The Water Room by Christopher Fowler - series
    
26. Hidden Depths by Ann Cleeves - series
    
27. The Case of the Famished Parson by George Bellairs - series
    
28. The Inspector and Mrs Jeffries by Emily Brightwell - series
    
29. Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
    
30. Children of the Fleet by Orson Scott Card - series
    
31. Sleep No More by PD James
    
32. Now You See Me by Sharon Bolton - SantaThing
    
33. Dead Scared by Sharon Bolton - SantaThing
    
34. A Lot Like Christmas by Connie Willis - ARC
    
35. Dark of the Moon by PC Hodgell - group
    
    Revisited and revised each month as I complete or do not complete the planned books for the month.
    
    

My Series



My Series on FictFact.com

Next Book List on FictFact.com

Active Series with Which I’m Current

Peter Diamond by Peter Lovesey
Inspector Lynley by Elizabeth George
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James by Deborah Crombie
Flavia de Luce by Alan Bradley
Mary Russell by Laurie R King
No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Hamish MacBeth by MC Beaton
Agatha Raisin by MC Beaton
Siri Paiboun by Colin Cotterill
Genevieve Lenard by Estelle Ryan
Irish Village by Carlene O’Connor
Freddy Pilkington-Soames by Clara Benson
Rosalind Thorne by Darcie Wilde
Aunt Dimity by Nancy Atherton
Isabel Dalhousie by Alexander McCall Smith
Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie
Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
Clare Fergusson by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Maggie Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal
Grantchester by James Runcie
Ruth Galloway by Elly Griffiths
A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin
Veronica Speedwell by Deanna Raybourn
Thursday Next by Jasper Fforde
Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde
Shetland by Ann Cleeves
Richard Jury by Martha Grimes
Stephens & Mephisto by Elly Griffiths

Series I’m Reading

Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold - Diplomatic Immunity
Robert Langdon by Dan Brown - Inferno
Inspector Morse by Colin Dexter - The Wench is Dead
Touchstone by Laurie R King - Touchstone
Inspector Richardson by Basil Thomson - The Case of Naomi Clynes
Bryant & May by Christopher Fowler - The Water Room
Alan Grant by Josephine Tey - A Shilling for Candles
Amelia Peabody by Elizabeth Peters - The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog
Albert Campion by Margery Allingham - Look to the Lady
Inspector Sloan by Catherine Aird - Passing Strange
Fethering by Simon Brett - Death on the Downs
Mrs Jeffries by Emily Brightwell - The Inspector and Mrs Jeffries
Jimm Juree by Colin Cotterill - Grandad, There's a Head on the Beach
Alexandra Gladstone by Paula Paul - Symptoms of Death
Inspector Banks by Peter Robinson - Past Reason Hated
Detective Lavender by Karen Charlton - The Sans Pareil Mystery
Sergeant Cribb by Peter Lovesey - The Detective Wore Silk Drawers
Miss Silver by Patricia Wentworth - Lonesome Road
Mrs Bradley by Gladys Mitchell - The Mystery of a Butcher's Shop
Inspector William Meredith by John Bude - The Lake District Murder
Inspector Wexford by Ruth Rendell - Sins of the Fathers
Roger Sheringham by Anthony Berkeley - The Wychford Poisoning Case
Inspector Gamache by Louise Penny - A Fatal Grace
Discworld by Terry Pratchett - The Light Fantastic
Desmond Merrion by Miles Burton - Menace on the Downs
Father Gilbert by Paul McCusker - Death in the Shadows
Inspector Ramsey by Ann Cleeves - A Day In The Death Of Dorothea Cassidy
George and Molly Palmer-Jones by Ann Cleeves - Come Death and High Water
Vera Stanhope by Ann Cleeves - Hidden Depths
Inspector Littlejohn by George Bellairs - He'd Rather Be Dead
Inspector Pointer by A Fielding - The Charteris Mystery
Guido Brunetti by Donna Leon - Death in a Strange Country
Kencyrath by PC Hodgell - Dark of the Moon
Cherringham by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello - The Body in the Lake
Mordecai Tremaine by Francis Duncan - So Pretty a Problem
Farseer by Robin Hobb - Royal Assassin
Atlas Catesby by D M Quincy - Murder in Mayfair

Series I've Finished - Too numerous to list all, but here are several

Adam Dalgleish by PD James
Harry Potter by JK Rowling
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
Goldy Schultz by Diane Davidson Mott
Chief Inspector Barnaby by Caroline Graham
Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie
Miss Marple by Agatha Christie
Peter Wimsey by Dorothy Sayers
Constable Evan Evans by Rhys Bowen
Oliver Swithin by Alan Beechy
Roderick Alleyn by Ngaio Marsh
Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins
The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry
Maze Runner by James Dashner
Burford Family by James Anderson
Angela Marchmont by Clara Benson
Foundationand Extended Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Robot by Isaac Asimov
Empire by Isaac Asimov
Integral Trees by Larry Niven
Oxford Time Travel by Connie Willis
Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Dalziel and Pascoe by Reginald Hill
The Cat Who by Lilian Jackson Braun
Ender by Orson Scott Card
Imperial Radch by Ann Leckie
Lady Julia Grey by Deanna Raybourn
Very English Mystery by Elizabeth Edmondson

Prior Year Favorites



2017
Fiction - A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman
Middle - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler by EL Konigsburg
Mystery - The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley
Nonfiction - The Complete Maus by Art Spiegleman
SciFi - Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold



2016
Fantasy - The Woodcutter by Kate Danley
Literary fiction - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Middle grade - The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Mystery - The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R King
Science Fiction - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Young Adult - The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Newbery Awards



ala.org Newbery Medal and Honors List 1922 to Present

Medal Winners

2018 -
2017 -
2016 - Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena
2015 -
2014 - Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
2013 - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
2012 -
2011 -
2010 - When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
2009 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
2008 -
2007 -
2006 -
2005 -
2004 - The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo
2003 -
2002 - A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
2001 -
2000 -
1999 -
1998 -
1997 - The View from Saturday by E L Konigsburg
1996 -
1995 -
1994 - The Giver by Lois Lowry
1993 -
1992 -
1991 -
1990 - Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
1989 -
1988 -
1987 -
1986 -
1985 -
1984 -
1983 -
1982 -
1981 -
1980 -
1979 - The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
1978 - The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
1977 -
1976 -
1975 -
1974 -
1973 -
1972 -
1971 -
1970 -
1969 - The High King by Lloyd Alexander
1968 - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler by E L Konigsburg
1967 -
1966 -
1965 -
1964 - It's Like This, Cat by Emily Cheney Neville
1963 - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
1962 -
1961 -
1960 -
1959 - The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
1958 -
1957 -
1956 -
1955 -
1954 -
1953 -
1952 - Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes
1951 -
1950 -
1949 -
1948 -
1947 -
1946 -
1945 -
1944 -
1943 -
1942 -
1941 -
1940 -
1939 -
1938 -
1937 -
1936 - Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink - Medal
1935 -
1934 -
1933 -
1932 -
1931 -
1930 -
1929 -
1928 -
1927 -
1926 -
1925 -
1924 -
1923 -
1922 -

Honors Books

2016 Honors - Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
2016 Honors - The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
2015 Honors - El Deafo by Cece Bell
2014 Honors - The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes
2007 Honors - Rules by Cynthia Lord
1983 Honors - Doctor DeSoto by William Steig
1966 Honors - The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
1964 Honors - Rascal by Sterling North
1957 Honors - Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
1953 Honors - Charlotte's Web by EB White
1949 Honors - My Father's Dragon by Ruth Gannett
1948 Honors - Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
1944 Honors - These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
1942 Honors - Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
1941 Honors - The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
1940 Honors - By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
1939 Honors - Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
1938 Honors - On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
1929 Honors - Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag

Hugo Awards



Hugo Award for Best Novel List

2017 -
2016 -
2015 -
2014 - Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
2013 - Redshirts by John Scalzi
2012 -
2011 - Blackout by Connie Willis
2011 - All Clear by Connie Willis
2010 -
2010 -
2009 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
2008 - The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
2007 -
2006 -
2005 - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
2004 -
2003 -
2002 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman
2001 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
2000 -
1999 - To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
1998 -
1997 -
1996 -
1995 - Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold
1994 -
1993 - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
1992 - Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
1991 - The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
1990 -
1989 -
1988 -
1987 - Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
1986 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
1985 - Neuromancer by William Gibson
1984 -
1983 - Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov
1982 -
1981 -
1980 -
1979 -
1978 -
1977 - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm
1976 - The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
1975 -
1974 - Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke
1973 - The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
1972 -
1971 - Ringworld by Larry Niven
1970 - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin
1969 -
1968 -
1967 - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
1966 - Dune by Frank Herbert
1966 -
1965 -
1964 -
1963 - Man in the High Castle by Phillip K Dick
1962 - Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
1961 - A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M Miller
1960 -
1959 -
1958 - The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
1956 -
1955 -
1954 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
1953 -
1951 -
1946 - The Mule from Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov
1941 -
1939 - The Sword in the Stone from The Once and Future King by TH White

Nebula Awards



Nebula Award for Best Novel List

2017 - All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
2016 -
2015 -
2014 - Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
2013 -
2012 -
2011 - Blackout by Connie Willis
2011 - All Clear by Connie Willis
2010 -
2009 -
2008 - The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon
2007 -
2006 -
2005 -
2004 -
2003 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman
2002 -
2001 -
2000 -
1999 -
1998 -
1997 -
1996 -
1995 -
1994 -
1993 - The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
1992 -
1991 -
1990 -
1989 - Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold
1988 -
1987 - Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
1986 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
1985 - Neuromancer by William Gibson
1984 -
1983 -
1982 -
1981 -
1980 -
1979 -
1978 -
1977 -
1976 - The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
1975 -
1974 - Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke
1973 - The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov
1972 -
1971 - Ringworld by Larry Niven
1970 - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K LeGuin
1969 -
1968 -
1967 - Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
1967 -
1966 - Dune by Frank Herbert

A Book A Year



I loved this idea - so I am copying Paul, Roni, Karen and possibly others. This may take some time to put together - I started it a month or so ago and then lost my list, so I will be adding slowly. These books may not necessarily be my favorite book published that year, but are books that I have rated highly, enjoyed, and likely reread, and have some meaning to me. I've tried not to add too many books by one author and have tried to keep it representative of my overall library.

(Published dates according to Wikipedia)

1963 - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
1964 - The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
1965 - Dune by Frank Herbert
1966 - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein and Tall and Proud by Vian Smith
1967 - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler by EL Konigsburg
1968 - The Queen's Confession by Victoria Holt and That Barbara! by Wilma Thompson
1969 - Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
1970 - Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
1971 - The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty and Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
1972 - Watership Down by Richard Adams and All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriott
1973 - The Princess Bride by William Goldman
1974 - Carrie by Stephen King and Centennial by James Michner
1975 - Curtain by Agatha Christie
1976 - Last Seen Wearing by Colin Dexter
1977 - The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough and The Shining by Stephen King
1978 - The Stand by Stephen King
1979 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
1980 - The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum
1981 - The Man With a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes
1982 - Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov
1983 - The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov and Deadheads by Reginald Hill
1984 - The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
1985 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov
1986 - The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
1987 - The Sign of Chaos by Roger Zelazny and Patriot Games by Tom Clancy
1988 - Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov and A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George
1989 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
1990 - Robot Visions by Isaac Asimov and Devices and Desires by PD James
1991 - The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey
1992 - The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
1993 - The Giver by Lois Lowry
1994 - The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R King
1995 - Wicked by Gregory Maguire
1996 - A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin and Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold
1997 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
1998 - No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
1999 - Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
2000 - Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
2001 - The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
2002 - Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual Spatial Learner by Linda Kreger Silverman
2003 - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
2004 - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
2005 - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
2006 -
2007 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
2008 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
2009 - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley and When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
2010 - Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
2011 - Headhunters by Jo Nesbo, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
2012 - Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
2013 -
2014 - All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
2015 - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
2016 - Sidney Chambers and the Dangers of Temptation by James Runcie
2017 - The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

Take it away! Don't forget to visit after the construction is all finished!

Hi, Robin! I can get in at the beginning of a new thread if I don't make it any other time!
Here's to good reading and reviewing!
I'm interested to know what you think about the Poetzch. I put several of them on my Kindle when they were very cheap or maybe free, and have never tried one. You also got me with the Rowly Sinclair series, which I had never heard of. #1 is firmly on my wish list.

Hi, Robin! Congrats on thread #2 so early. :)

Getting in early myself this time, as I just realised that somehow I didn't actually say 'hi' on your first thread!? Lots of interesting stuff there, though---and of course I love all your challenges!

Appreciate what you were saying about Annie Haynes; I had a similar experience recently with my first Thomas Cobb. Still--not everyone can be Agatha, after all, and I'm grateful these forgotten mysteries are being made available (if if they're forgotten for a reason!).

Happy New Thread, Robin! We are on the same schedule, right?

>17 LizzieD: Hi, Peggy. Welcome. I started to read the Poetzch but stalled out a little. It was interesting, but other books were a little more interesting, so I'll get back to it. I just started the Rowly Sinclair series tonight, and it has started with a bang - action right from the start.

>18 lyzard: Hi, Liz. Welcome to you as well. I haven't tried Thomas Cobb - I'll have to put him on my list as well. I, too, am grateful that we are more able to find these old mysteries. Even if they're not the best, I still enjoy reading them (for the most part.) I wonder if in 2019 when items start to enter the public domain again in the US whether we may see even more of these Golden Age mysteries start to be republished - I think 1923 will be open at that point, so that should just pick up the start.

>19 ronincats: Hi, Roni. Thanks for visiting. I can't believe that somehow I'm even close to being on the same schedule as you!

Happy new thread!

Congratulations on your new thread, Robin. xx

Happy new thread!

I'm a looong way behind.

Welcome, >22 Kassilem: Melissa, >23 PaulCranswick: Paul and >24 humouress: Nina. Thanks for stopping by.

>24 humouress: I don't have any idea what happened this year, Nina. Last year, I wasn't at thread 2 until the end of February, and then I was doing a decent job of keeping up with reviews. Now I'm not even half-way done with my reviews for January.

ETA and in hindsight, I probably should have just kept thread 1 around to finish out my January reviews and stats. Oh, well, can't have everything.

M (YTD)

By the numbers

Books read - 14
Average days to read - 2.2

Pages read - 3,913
Average pages per book - 280
Average pages per day - 126

Series read - 9
Books in series read - 11

Longest book read - Nicholas Nickleby
Pages - 864

Shortest book read - The Talisman’s Trinket
Pages - 19


Type

ARC - 3
Borrowed - 1
New - 8
Reread - 0
TBR - 2


Medium

Audio - 3
Ebook - 11
Print - 0


Genre

Fantasy - 2
Fiction - 2
Middle Grade - 1
Mystery - 9
Nonfiction - 0
Science Fiction - 0


Authors

Authors by book

Female - 8
Male - 6
Unknown/other - 0

Unique authors

Female - 7
Male - 5
Unknown/other - 0

Authors read for the first time - 5

Living or deceased - unique authors

Deceased - 4
Living - 8

Nationality - unique authors

American - 5
Canadian - 1
English - 6


Awards

None


Ratings

5.0 - 2
4.5 - 0
4.0 - 7
3.5 - 2
3.0 - 2
2.5 - 0
2.0 - 0
1.5 - 0
1.0 - 0
0.5 - 0

Average rating - 3.86

Average rating of books read per LibraryThing - 3.65
Average rating of books read per Goodreads - 3.83
Average rating of books read per Amazon - 4.19


Decade published

1830 - 1
1920 - 1
1940 - 3
1980 - 1
1990 - 1
2000 - 1
2010 - 6


Books added to library

ARC - 11
Purchase - 26
Other - 0

Average cost per book - $3.47

New releases - 1
Percent of new releases purchased - 2.70%

Full price - 5
Percent of full price books purchased - 13.51%


Favorite books of the month



God Stalk by PC Hodgell
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Happy new thread, Robin!

>27 scaifea: Thanks, Amber.

Happy new thread, Robin!

Happy new thread! Wow, what a lot of challenges!

Love the cat photos in the opening post!

Happy New Thread, Robin! Thanks for the bio - what a road you've traveled. My sympathy to Keegan - my Dad has had hearing aids since he was even younger than Keegan. He's done fine (he was a math whiz, too) and even learned how to play a number of musical instruments.

We just switched tax accountants from a big firm to a woman who's a partner in a small firm, and I'm looking forward to working with her. She's around our age and very personable.

I can't resist those $1.99 deals either. One of my favorite parts of my day is getting an email listing the new ones.

Hi Robin - happy new thread!

>29 harrygbutler: Thanks, Harry.

>30 foggidawn: Yes, foggi, I may have bitten off more than I can chew with the challenges, but I'm not going to stress over it. If a book fits, it fits, if not, oh well!

>31 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori. I need to take some new ones as those are from my last post, but they just don't seem to settle down when I am near my camera. You know how that goes!

>32 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. Great to learn that others thrive with wearing hearing aids from a young age. Keegan, fortunately, has taken it all in stride - partly because he doesn't know any differently, and partly because he is one of the happiest people I know. He is rarely frustrated or sad about anything, so when he is, I know something is really bothering him. He is pretty musical too (I think that may go hand in hand with the math thing - as we are all fairly musical as well) and plays the drums in the school band, which is perfect for him. I hope your new tax accountant works out well - it sounds like she will.

>33 katiekrug: Hi, Katie. Thanks!

Happy new thread, Robin!

>25 rretzler: I probably should have just kept thread 1 around to finish out my January reviews and stats
You still can put your January reviews in your previous thread and start your February reviews here. Only hassle would be keeping up two threads for a little while.

>34 rretzler: Absolutely. They settled the other night--all three on top of me. The only problem--the phone (with the camera) was in the pocket underneath one of the cats.

>35 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Good suggestion, although I think I'll just put it all in this thread and not worry about it. C'est la vie!

>36 thornton37814: Lori, it figures, doesn't it. Mine can be so cute, and somehow they just know I'm coming with the camera and they're gone in a flash - even if they have been deeply sleeping just a second before.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread...I missed the first one, but I'll try to drop by occasionally!

>38 drneutron: Hi, Jim and thanks.

>39 aktakukac: Hi, Rachel. Thanks. I'm finding it difficult to keep up this year, there is so much activity!

7. A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn



Original publication date: 2018
Genre: Mystery
Source: Amazon
Format: Ebook
Type: New
Series: Veronica Speedwell #3
Page count: 313
Challenge(s): Modern Mrs Darcy, New Release, TIOLI, PopSugar
Finished: 1/25/18

Veronica Speedwell is back with Revelstoke Templeton-Vane in 1888 London to investigate the disappearance and presumed death of John de Morgan, Stoker’s former friend. Years earlier, de Morgan ran away with Stoker’s wife and left him for dead in the Amazon. A member of Sir Leicester Tiverton’s Egyptian expedition, de Morgan is suspected of looting a crown from the dig and escaping back to England with his wife. However, when she wakes up the next morning, there is no sign of her husband or the crown, and the room he was staying in has been remodeled as if he never arrived in England. As Stoker appears to be the only enemy of de Morgan, Veronica and Stoker must investigate to clear his name from being dragged through the press, and possibly arrested for murder. To do so, they must get close to the members of the Tiverton expedition, which is said to be under a mummy’s curse, and Stoker’s former wife, Carolyn de Morgan, who is pregnant with de Morgan’s child.

A Treacherous Curse is the third and latest book in Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series. Veronica, an independent woman, who is the illegitimate daughter of the Prince of Wales, is a natural historian and lepidopterist. She and Revelstoke Templeton-Vane, another natural historian, work for Lord Rosemorran, cataloging his eclectic collection for the purpose of opening a museum on the grounds of the Rosemorran estate, Belvedere.

Although this is set in Victorian times and is for the most part historically accurate, Veronica is not a typical Victorian woman. She is very brazen and forward and does not disguise the fact that she has had many lovers, although none on English soil. There is nothing demure about Veronica as she matter-of-factly and scientifically goes on her way, making for some very humorous moments. In addition to being friends, there is an unresolved sexual tension that runs between Veronica and Stoker.

I have read both of the previous books in the series, and I enjoy the humor. The mystery is well-plotted, and all the clues are there. The book is an easy and fun read and not to be taken too seriously. The opening sentence gives a hint of the humor to come.

”I assure you, I am perfectly capable of identifying a phallus when I see one,” Stoker informed me, clipping the words sharply. “And that is no such thing.”

I look forward to reading more of this delightful series.

Happy new thread, Robin! I had fun reading through your January stats.

>Hi, Mamie. Thanks! I had fun keeping track!

>41 rretzler: And nice review that showed up as I posted! I wondered about that series - I love her Julia Gray series, so I think I will try that one.

>44 Crazymamie: Mamie, if you liked her Julia Gray series, I think you will really enjoy Veronica Speedwell. Start with the first one though, there is a lot of background in it that you wouldn't want to miss.

Got it!

8. Last Train to London by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello



Original publication date: 2014
Genre: Mystery
Source: Audible
Format: Audiobook
Type: New
Series: Cherringham Cosy Crime Series #5
Listening time: 2 hours 32 minutes
Narrator: Neil Dudgeon
Page count: 103
Challenge(s): Audiobook, British Book, PopSugar, TIOLI
Finished: 1/25/18

Last Train to London is the fifth novelette in Neil Richards and Matthew Costello’s Cherringham series. Set in fictional Cherringham, England, in the Cotswolds, it features Sarah Edwards, English single-mother and web designer, and Jack Brennan, American ex-NYPD detective, as they solve murders and other assorted crimes that pop-up in the small town.

Puppeteer Otto Brendl, who performs the annual Punch-and-Judy show for the town is found dead of an apparent heart attack. When his valuable puppets turn up missing, and Jack recalls a strange tattoo on Otto, he soon realizes that Otto’s death may not have been from natural causes and that Otto may not have been who he claimed to be.

I stumbled across the Cherringham Cosy Crime series on sale on Audible, and since I enjoy British mysteries, I purchased the first six novelettes, which were originally released in 2014. The mysteries are well-written and well-plotted. Being a novelette, the story does not have room for a lot of character development, but the authors manage to let us get to know Sarah and Jack as a little of their lives are touched on in each episode. Neil Dudgeon, of Midsomer Murders, does a decent job with the narration.

I will likely seek out additional installments of this series as they are fun to listen to and are only about 2.5 hours long.

8. The Curse of Mabb’s Farm by Neil Richards and Matthew Costello



Original publication date: 2014
Genre: Mystery
Source: Audible
Format: Audiobook
Type: New
Series: Cherringham Cosy Crime Series #5
Listening time: 2 hours 38 minutes
Narrator: Neil Dudgeon
Page count: 109
Challenge(s): Audiobook, British Book, PopSugar, TIOLI
Finished: 1/26/18

The Curse of Mabb’s Farm is the sixth novelette in Neil Richards and Matthew Costello’s Cherringham series. Set in fictional Cherringham, England, in the Cotswolds, it features Sarah Edwards, English single-mother and web designer, and Jack Brennan, American ex-NYPD detective, as they solve murders and other assorted crimes that pop-up in the small town.

Charlie Fox thinks his farm is cursed. In the 17th century, it was the home of witches who were burnt at the stake. Now his tractor has caught fire, his crops are failing, and his livestock has wandered away. Charlie’s wife, Caitlin, thinks it’s the work of the devil and neither wants the police called in. The vicar’s wife, asks Sarah to investigate.

I stumbled across the Cherringham Cosy Crime series on sale on Audible, and since I enjoy British mysteries, I purchased the first six novelettes, which were originally released in 2014. The mysteries are well-written and well-plotted. Being a novelette, the story does not have room for a lot of character development, but the authors manage to let us get to know Sarah and Jack as a little of their lives are touched on in each episode. Neil Dudgeon, of Midsomer Murders, does a decent job with the narration.

I didn’t enjoy this particular story as much as others in the series, but it was still enjoyable.

I will likely seek out additional installments of this series as they are fun to listen to and are only about 2.5 hours long.

I think I have the first in the Cherringham series in my Audible library. Got it on a whim - glad to hear it's a good series!

>49 katiekrug: Katie, I'm now finished with both of the compilations 1-3 and 4-6 that I also got on a whim, so I'm trying to decide if I want to spring for the audio or go for the books. I'm hoping there will be another Audible sale soon that will include them.

Happy newish thread, Robin. You are so organized. Come over and organize me!

Lots of stars in your reading so far this year. Love the pink ones.

>51 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Don't let the organization fool you!

10. Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan



Original publication date: 1947
Genre: Mystery
Source: NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Type: ARC
Series: Mordecai Tremaine #1
Page count: 256
Challenge(s): New Release, NetGalley, Just the Fact’s Ma’am, TIOLI, Popsugar, British Book
Finished: 1/26/18

Mordecai Tremaine, fascinated with murder and involved in helping the police with two real-life murder cases since his retirement, happens to be visiting friends in the small town of Dalmering on the same day Lydia Dare has been found stabbed to death. He is a self-effacing man, who seems to have a knack for understanding the motivations of his fellow man, which can be very helpful in solving murder cases. Inspector Boyce of Scotland Yard, who has been called in to head the investigation, again allows Mordecai to assist him. As Mordecai attends the rehearsals for the play that Dalmering’s residents are putting on, “Murder Has a Motive – A Play in Three Acts,” he soon realizes that reality seems to be mirroring the acts of the play. When a second murder takes place, Mordecai realizes he must act quickly before the third act is played out in real life.

Murder Has a Motive was originally published in 1947 and is the first book in the Mordecai Tremaine series by Francis Duncan. Duncan’s writing style is very easy to read, and I was instantly drawn into the story. There isn’t a lot of action or suspense in the book, but it moved along well and included a surprise or two. Inspector Boyce is not the clueless, blundering policeman that one sometimes finds in amateur detective books, but it is still all Mordecai with the final solution, who gathers the cast together in the final scene to unmask the murder. It is a solid piece of Golden Age detective fiction, with a compelling plot.

I enjoyed this quote at the end of the book as Mordecai wrestles with consequences of his investigation.

You couldn’t see only beauty in the world. You had to see the disfiguring stains, the sordid and sprawling things, too. Because that was life. Life was ugly and untidy besides being beautiful and marvelous and full of wonder. You had to see the dirt as well as the stars. To see the dirt and not become a cynic, to hold fast to one’s ideals, to preserve one’s belief in the underlying decencies of humanity—that was the real purpose of living.

I received this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

>53 rretzler: Hi, Robin! That's a good review, and the book sounds like one I might like. I'll have to pick it up at some point.

Ooops! I'm a little late for Happy new thread wishes but here they are! Me thinks you have a thing for mysteries! Glad you've been enjoying your selections.

>54 harrygbutler: Thanks, Harry. It's the second Mordecai Tremaine that I've read, and I enjoyed both. It's a good piece of Golden Age fiction so I think you would probably enjoy it. I'm definitely continuing the series.

>55 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. What would have ever given you that idea? While I also love sci-fi, mysteries are my first love!

1. (15) A Dangerous Language by Sulari Gentill -
   
2. (16) Arthur and George by Julian Barnes -
   
3. (17) Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham -
   
4. (18) Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke -
   
5. (19) Some Die Eloquent by Catherine Aird -
   
6. (20) The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin -
   
7. (21) Murder in an Irish Churchyard by Carlene O'Connor -
   
8. (22) Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb -
   
9. (23) The Man on the Train by Clara Benson -
   
10. (24) Murder in Bloomsbury by D M Quincy -
    
11. (25) No Man Dies Twice by Michael Smith -
    
12. (26) The Long Arm of the Law by Martin Edwards -
    
13. (27) The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths -
    
14. (28) Death Makes a Prophet by John Bude -
    
15. (29) Paving the New Road by Sulari Gentill -
    
16. (30) The Woman in the Water by Charles Finch -
    
    
    

1. (38) Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
   
2. (39) White Rose, Black Forest by Eoin Dempsey
   
3. (40) Lost Books and Old Bones by Paige Shelton
   
4. (41) Twenty-One Days by Anne Perry
   
5. (42) Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke
   
6. (43) Element of Doubt by Dorothy Simpson
   
7. (44) A Dinner to Die For by Neil Richards
   
8. (45) Portrait of a Murderer by Anne Meredith
   
9. (46) The Case of the Dead Diplomat by Basil Thomson
   
10. (47) The Dartmoor Enigma by Basil Thomson
    
11. (48) Who Killed Stella Pomeroy? by Basil Thomson
    
12. (49) The Milliner's Hat Mystery by Basil Thomson
    
13. (50) A Murder is Arranged by Basil Thomson
    
14. (51) Missing or Murdered by Robin Forsythe
    
15. (52) The Studio Crime by Ianthe Jerrold
    
16. (53) Information Received by E R Punshon
    
17. (54) Murder in an Irish Churchyard by Carlene O'Connor
    
18. (55) Calabash by Christopher Fowler
    
19. (56) Some Die Eloquent by Catherine Aird
    
20. (57) The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
    
21. (58) Babel-17 by Samuel R Delany
    
22. (59) Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
    
23. (60) The Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
    
24. (61) The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - For a Little While (short story) by Catherynne M Valente
    
25. (62) This World Is Full of Monsters (short story) by Jeff VanderMeer
    
26. (63) The Story of Kao Yu (short story) by Peter S Beagle
    
27. (64) Fire in the Thatch by ECR Lorac
    
28. (65) The Case of William Smith by Patricia Wentworth
    
29. (66) The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
    
30. (67) The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
    
31. (68) The Man Who Knew Too Much by GK Chesterton
    
32. (69) The Glass Key by Dashiell Hammett
    
33. (70) Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett
    
34. (71) West Cork by Sam Bungey
    
35. (72) One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
    
36. (73) The Marmalade Murders by Elizabeth J Duncan
    
37. (74) The Man on the Train by Clara Benson
    
38. (75) The Clue by Carolyn Wells
    
39. (76) Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
    
40. (77) Guilt & Galaxy Cake by Nancy McGovern
    
41. (78) Goedel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter
    
42. (79) Seven Keys to Baldpate by Earl Derr Biggers
    
43. (80) Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    
44. (81) Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia C Wrede
    
45. (82) The Grand Tour by Patricia C Wrede
    
46. (83) The Mislaid Magician by Patricia C Wrede
    
47. (84) Tempest in the Tea Room by Libi Astaire
    
48. (85) Death Among the Sunbathers by ER Punshon
    
49. (86) Crossword Mystery by ER Punshon
    
50. (87) Mystery Villa by ER Punshon
    
51. (88) Death of a Beauty Queen by ER Punshon
    
52. (89) Death Comes to Cambers by ER Punshon
    
53. (90) The Bath Mysteries by ER Punshon
    
54. (91) Mystery of Mr Jessop by ER Punshon
    
55. (92) The Dusky Hour by ER Punshon
    
56. (93) Dictator's Way by ER Punshon
    
57. (94) Comes a Stranger by ER Punshon
    
58. (95) Suspects - Nine by ER Punshon
    
59. (96) Murder Abroad by ER Punshon
    
60. (97) Four Strange Women by ER Punshon
    
61. (98) Ten Star Clues by ER Punshon
    
62. (99) Trouble in Nuala by Harriet Steel
    
63. (100) The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen
    
64. (101) The Rumble Murders by Henry Ware Eliot, Jr
    
65. (102) The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer
    
66. (103) Callendar Square by Anne Perry
    
67. (104) The Well-Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer
    
68. (105) Latter End by Patricia Wentworth
    
69. (106) Miss Silver Deals With Death by Patricia Wentworth
    
70. (107) The Catherine Wheel by Patricia Wentworth
    
71. (108) Dead Men's Morris by Gladys Mitchell
    
72. (109) Here Comes a Chopper by Gladys Mitchell
    
73. (110) Groaning Spinney by Gladys Mitchell
    
    
    

11. Number Four: The Zero Finger Option by Colin Cotterill



Original publication date: 2018
Genre: Mystery
Source: Amazon
Format: Ebook
Type: New
Series: Jimm Juree Case Files #4
Page count: 58
Challenge(s):
Finished: 1/28/18

Jimm Juree’s family was dragged by her mother to the south of Thailand to run a seaside resort. She is formerly a big-city crime reporter now trying different career options after the resort was washed away in a monsoon. While she is unsuccessfully trying her hand at being a middle-school English tutor, Jimm receives the first in a series of letters which eventually disclose the writer to be a gruesome murderer of an internet scammer. Jimm and her transsexual brother, former beauty queen and computer hacker, Sissy, are compelled to investigate.

Number Four: The Zero Finger Option is the humorous fourth short-story in Colin Cotterill’s Jimm Jury Case Files series. Cotterill has written four books in the Jimm Juree series as well. The Case Files short stories come out about once a month or so, and I look forward to reading each one. Cotterill has a such an interesting and dry sense of humor.

Each Case File contains an introduction to the Jimm Juree series so that they can be read as stand-alone stories.

12. Alpha Alpine by Mary Daheim



Original publication date: 2017
Genre: Mystery
Source: NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Type: ARC
Series: Emma Lord (Alpine) #27
Page count: 275
Challenge(s): NetGalley, TIOLI
Finished: 1/28/18

Emma Lord, owner of The Alpine Advocate, a small-town Washington state newspaper, and Alpine Sheriff Milo Dodge have finally married in the 27th book in Mary Daheim’s alphabetical series. Alpha Alpine begins the second alphabetical set. Milo and Emma are settling into married life when everything starts to go crazy. Vida Runkel, busybody and long-time newspaper employee, announces her retirement, and Milo’s arch-rival, Jack Blackwell threatens to become the county manager putting Milo out of a job, while Milo’s wacky and forgetful brother and sister-in-law are on their way from Texas in an RV for an extended visit. Things really spiral out of control when Milo’s daughter finds the corpse of a young woman, a victim of a possible serial killer, in Milo’s unlived-in old house, and The Advocate’s offices are bombed while Emma is working late. To top things off, Emma has encouraged her new receptionist to investigate, much to Milo’s chagrin.

I am not a regular reader of this series, but I do pick one up from time to time. They are a very light read, and for the most part, the plot holds together well. I was interested in this one because I thought the last one was possibly the end of the series, and I wanted to see if there had been any changes. Going forward, I think some of the long-term characters will be replaced with fresh new characters if this book is any indication.

This book was possibly a little harder for me to read than some of the others as there seemed to be a lot more mention of previous books with which I am not familiar. I think one would have a difficult time reading this book as a stand-alone. There are also so many characters mentioned in the book, both old and new, that one needs a list to keep them all straight.

There were also instances in this book that didn’t seem to make much sense to me – I have no idea what the purpose of Milo’s brother’s visit was. Unless it was comedic filler, it did not add to the plot or my enjoyment of the book in any way. There was also a rather strange party/press conference near the end of the book that utterly baffled me. Several times, I noticed a rather abrupt segue to a new idea in the middle of a paragraph, and I had to go back and reread to make sure I understood what was happening.

This is a pleasant series, but I think a new reader would be better served by starting at the beginning of the series with the first A, instead of this one. Series fans will no doubt enjoy this return of Emma, Milo and the rest of the Alpine regulars.

As an aside, I found the previous style of cover for the series to be much more to my liking. The current cover does not appeal to me, and I feel it makes the book look cheap.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Alibi in exchange for an honest review.

I thought it was strange that I was only a few messages behind.... and then realised there was a new thread - happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Robin!

>9 rretzler: Your planned reading is intimidating! And I love all your stats and was going to copy you and then decided I don't keep good enough records and won't keep it up if I start it! LOL. Also, you are WAY better at keeping up on reviews than I am. : ) Happy newish thread!!

>61 souloftherose: Happens to me all the time with everyone else's threads, Heather. I don't think I'll ever be able to keep up!

>62 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle.

>63 Berly: Thanks, Kim. I've never planned my reading before, but once I started, it just kind of snowballed on me. I'm not sure it's sustainable - but I'm giving it a shot. Stats are compliments of Airtable - if I didn't have so much fun with it, I wouldn't keep it up either.

>26 rretzler: Oooh, impressive stats!

>65 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. Not as good as the last couple of years, but that's because I stalled out on Nicholas Nickleby a little in the middle of the month.

>47 rretzler: >48 rretzler: I'm going to have to check out that series. It sounds like a pleasant way to pass the time.

>67 thornton37814: Lori, it is a very pleasant little series. I'm glad I stumbled across it. I just can't decide now whether to spring for more audiobooks and keep listening or give other things a chance. Fortunately, at only 2.5 hours, I guess I could do an episode between each longer other audiobook.

Tonight we are attending Genius Night. Since Keegan has some learning disabilities associated with mild dyslexia and hearing issues, even though he has virtually the same IQ as Beckham, he sometimes struggles in school. I wanted to make sure that he knew that he was still very smart, so he goes once a week to a gifted specialist who helps to challenge him in very fun ways. The head of the program is Carol Strip Whitney who has written a couple of books about gifted children and their education. Dr. Carol and her partner, Dr. Shirley, developed Genius Night for the kids - they prepare a presentation and then speak in front of the other students and their parents. Keegan's presentation tonight is Ancient Rome - comparing and contrasting the architecture of the Colosseum and Circus Maximus. He didn't spend as much time on this one as the one he did last year, which I was impressed with - it was different psychology experiments, and he even made his own ink blots! Some of the kids really get into their presentations, but as Keegan is on the older side, I think he's a little more blasé about the whole thing. I have seen his poster but have no idea what he is going to say so it should be interesting.

>69 rretzler: That sounds like an excellent program, Robin — and I do like Keegan's topic. Best of luck to him!

Hi Robin!

Belated happy new thread, and it looks like you had an excellent reading January.

I hope Genius Night goes well.

>69 rretzler: That does sound like a cool program, Robin.

Murder Has a Motive sounds like one I might enjoy. Love those Golden Age mysteries.

>69 rretzler: How did the presentation go? That sounds like a very cool program.

Happy Saturday, Robin. I'm hoping that it is full of fabulous!

>69 rretzler: Very cool! Charlie's class has a Genius Hour every Friday, when they get to work on a research project of their own choosing and then write up a report about it and record a video presentation. Right how he's working on Alexander Hamilton.

Happy new thread, Robin! Looks like you had a really great reading month in January. Those daily ebook deals are wonderful. I feel less guilty buying the ebooks, with the added bonus of less dusting to do. ;-)

the Veronica Speedwell series seems to be a goodie. I don't need another series right now but I have added this one to my library list. The Cherringham series also looks tempting.

>69 rretzler: - That sounds like a very interesting program!

Genius Night actually turned out differently than the last time. They did not have to stand up and introduce themselves and their project which was a little disappointing to me. I felt as though it would have been a good opportunity to practice each student's public speaking skills, but it was not to be. Instead, the parents visited each student's station and were able to ask questions about each of their projects - which was also included last time. Keegan did a fine job. He was able to answer many of the questions and used his phone to search for the answers to the questions he did not know. I was certainly proud of him - and of the fact that he chose to dress up, even though he knew others would be wearing sweats and hoodies, which is his standard attire. Here's a picture:

>70 harrygbutler: Thanks, Harry. He is learning about Ancient Rome in school now - I think they just had their final test, hence the interest, I think. Plus it combined architecture and sports, two things he likes.

>71 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. Not a bad January as far as quality - quantity is something else, but overall a good month!

>72 BLBera: Beth, if you like golden age, I think you would enjoy Murder Has a Motive - I really like Mordecai Tremaine as an amateur detective.

>73 Crazymamie: Mamie, I think it went very well. Hope you had a great weekend too.

>74 scaifea: Wow, Amber, that sounds fantastic to be able to do that weekly, plus the video presentation. Beckham has had to do several video presentations through the years, but so far Keegan has not been so lucky.

>75 lkernagh: Lori, I do really enjoy the Veronica Speedwell series! Not the most serious of books, but a lot of fun! The ebooks are great also because I don't have to figure out where to fit them, but then I don't always realize how much my TBR stack is building up (which could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it) 😜

>76 rretzler: Good for Keegan. Looking smart!

Go, Keegan! I love that he dressed up for it - so cool.

>78 humouress: Thanks, Nina.

>79 scaifea: Amber, I know, right? I couldn't believe it. He even told me that he thought he needed a pair of khaki pants! Of course, Beckham told me that for Christmas 2016 and he has yet to wear them! Oh, well.

Lol, it's nice when kids take these things seriously. Even to the point of going *gasp shopping for pants!

>81 The_Hibernator: Rachel, you don't know the half of it. Rarely does Keegan take anything seriously! 😜 LOL!

So the flu seems to be going around our house - this weekend Beckham started running a temp which has been hovering around 101 all day today. He's bummed because he had two tests today. I just told him that since his temp isn't down he shouldn't go to school tomorrow and he's a little upset about that, so we'll see. I predict that he won't be able to go tomorrow as well. Unfortunately, Wednesday is the American Mathematics Competition test and there is no way I am going to be able to keep him home from that!

>76 rretzler: Cool! Good for Keegan. Looking sharp there.

>83 rretzler: This flu is grabbing so many people. Sorry it found your house. Lousy timing for poor Beckham. Seems like it would be awfully tough to take a test with a high fever, and do well.

I hope you all feel better soon, Robin.

>84 jnwelch: Thanks from Keegan, Joe! Fortunately for Beckham's test-taking ability, other than the fact that he's coughing a lot, he doesn't seem phased by the high temp. So, we'll give him lots of liquids and ibuprofen and cross our fingers,

>85 BLBera: Thanks, Beth.

In hindsight, I should have had the boys both get flu shots, but they usually are immune to all the little illnesses picked up at school and are rarely ever sick for more than a day or two over the course of a year, if that. Ed and I both got flu shots, so I guess next year its shots for everyone!

Sorry to see Beckham has become sick! Hopefully it passes quickly and doesn't affect everyone!

Hi Robin!

That's a very nice picture of Keegan with his project. I like that he decided to dress up and differentiate himself.

Sorry to hear that Beckham has the flu. Ihope it's a mild case and that he's back to school soon.

Hi- I decided to swing by your thread, seeing as we are (were!) reading buddies with Arthur & George :)

Love the poster your son made, I would be so proud if my kids pulled that type of thing off, they are less than enamoured with matters of reading or writing.

>87 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. Me, too - although Keegan had the flu in mid-January, we're doing our best to take precautions!

>88 karenmarie: Hi, Karen and thanks on both counts.

>89 LovingLit: Hi, Megan. Glad you could stop by. Neither of mine really like to write either. Beckham does enjoy reading, but Keegan has mild dyslexia, hence some of the extra practice. He doesn't seem to mind doing the projects though - or at least he doesn't complain.

Since Beckham was home again today, he and I watched the movie Inception starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Joseph Gordon Levitt.



Synopsis from IMDB.com:

Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible - inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. Written by Warner Bros. Pictures

It was nominated for Best Picture in 2011 and won 4 Oscars. If you enjoy SciFi movies, I highly recommend it. I had watched it before, but this was Beckham's first time and although he had some questions, he enjoyed it as well. It is definitely a movie that you must pay attention to, as there are layers upon layers at work. I really like a couple of concepts about the movie - what is reality versus what is a dream, and once you plant an idea in someone's mind, you can never "unplant" it.

Robin reading - finished Arthur and George and started Mystery Mile yesterday - I should be finished with it tonight or tomorrow and then either start Assassin's Apprentice or Some Die Eloquent depending upon what comes through from the library

Robin listening - The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin

Ed - Midworld by Alan Dean Foster

Beckham - A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived by Adam Rutherford for pleasure and The Great Gatsby for school

Keegan - finished Nimona by Noelle Stevenson today and hasn't decided what to start tomorrow

Keegan and Robin listening - we have about 20 minutes left of Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (don't tell him that I actually finished it in January because I couldn't wait!)

Beckham, Keegan and Robin - reading Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J K Rowling - no active reading so far this year - we're going to have to make a plan to read again.

Dropping in and catching up. I'm anxious to hear how Mystery Mile is.

For many years, our family really didn't watch much television, only movies on Friday nights, the boys would watch an occasional Disney channel show, and Ed watched The Walking Dead or Breaking Bad, and I watched Doctor Who and Sherlock. Now that the boys are older, we are watching more TV (I'm not sure that's a good thing.) We now tend to watch series on either Amazon Prime or Netflix so I thought I would share some of what we are watching currently.

At home

Currently watching
The Office - season 6
Parks and Recreation - season 2

Just finished
Marvel's The Punisher - season 1
The Detectorists - season 2
Stranger Things - season 2

Next up
Marvel's Agents of SHIELD - season 5
The Detectorists - season 3
Battlestar Galactica

In the theater

Recently watched
The Last Jedi
Thor: Ragnarok

Next up
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Black Panther

I also love British TV so when I work, I will sometimes have a show on in the background that "keeps me company." Currently, I'm rewatching classic Doctor Who starting with the First Doctor - William Hartnell.

>93 thornton37814: Hi, Lori. I'm really enjoying Mystery Mile about halfway in. Campion is pretending to be his usual fatuous self. The villain Simister is lurking in the background, and I have my suspicions about one of the characters who seems to be escaping death with some frequency.

Oh, I loved The Lathe of Heaven when I read it years ago - I hope you do, too.

>92 rretzler: I love that you track what everyone is reading!

>95 rretzler: Hi, Robin! Glad to hear you're liking Mystery Mile. I read that one a couple years ago. I'm (slowly) reading the Campions in order, and I'm up to The Case of the Late Pig.

Hi Robin... I finally got round to reading your second thread. Just so you know the Vote on my thread was tied, so please go vote again. Thanks.

>96 scaifea: Hi, Amber. I'm enjoying it very much so far. I'm fairly certain that I may have read it many, many years ago. Much of it is very familiar so far and I knew the concept going into it, but I don't recall actually ever reading it, which is very odd. Perhaps when discussing SciFi in HS or in my college SciFi class we discussed it without my every reading it?

>97 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. I like to read or know what the boys are reading so that we can discuss it. Ed used to read a lot more, but he watches too many videos these days (as do the boys), so I try to stick my nose in once in a while. 😜

>98 harrygbutler: Hi, Harry. I'm kind of slowly reading them as well. I loved the Mystery! series back in the 80s with Peter Davison as Campion (that's how I picture him in my mind now.) I started to read the books back then, but didn't like them as much at the time as Christie, Sayers and Marsh and gave up after reading a bunch of them (not in order.) I'm finding now that I enjoy them much, much more, so I am going to slowly revive my interest in them.

>99 BBGirl55: Hi, Bryony. #17 doesn't seem to be getting much love! 😥

Snow day today. Level 2 Snow Emergency in our county so everyone is home. The boys are enjoying their day off school, and Ed is working from home. I'm glad that Beckham is getting the extra day off to rest. His temperature is finally back down to normal, so I will feel better about him going to school tomorrow. He's still coughing a lot and stuffy, but at least the fever has gone.

Neither Assassin's Apprentice or Some Die Eloquent have come up at the library, so I decided to read an ARC of Raspberry Danish Murder. I'm not sure why I requested it because I'm not really a big fan of the "cutsey" series that try to make an amateur detective out of someone who is not even remotely connected in any way to anything that has to do with murder/crime. Most series like that just kind of annoy me because they are too forced. I think it's interesting that those types of mysteries are almost always set in the US while the types of mysteries I enjoy are set in the UK. However, I find that unless a book is really awful, if it's a series, I feel this compulsion to keep reading, which is why I think I requested Alpha Alpine last month and Raspberry Danish Murder this month. There are a few others that I've read over the years that annoy me yet I find compelled to keep up with: The Cat Who series (the first 3 books were actually very well done), the Goldy Schultz catering series and the Psychic Eye series. Thankfully the first two of those are done! Someone really needs to stop me from myself! 😜

Hi Robin! I'm loving the latest Flavia de Luce and I'm hoping to be finished it today or tomorrow. I can't find many TV shows that I like, but I am having watching the latest addition to the X -Files. I find them a cross between scary and extremely funny. So I might watch that tonight, rather than reading. Oh I recall with fondness reading with my boys! Now I have the fun of shopping for my granddaughter who is arriving in mid March. I have purchased her a few books too, but when I get into the mall - and that is seldom, I am drawn to the baby clothes ;-)

Sorry to hear about your snow emergency. I think I'd like to call a rain emergency for my part of the world. ( We do get rain warnings, but it does not impact what I am doing ) .

>102 vancouverdeb: Glad to hear you're loving Flavia - so did I. I keep meaning to watch the new X-Files, but I want to give it all of my attention and its hard to find a time to do that. I think as a family we may start to watch the old X-Files at some point, but I'm not sure whether we'll watch every episode or only watch those that have to do with advancing the story-line.

What fun to have a granddaughter almost here! How exciting that must be. It will be many, many years (hopefully) before I can look forward to that.

>100 rretzler: We watched the Campion mysteries on DVD and quite liked them, and they did in part inspire me to give the books a try. And because we watched those before I read the books, Davison is how I picture Campion as well.

Hi, Robin. I wish I could bookhorn in Arthur and George, for this month. I really wanted to read that one. Maybe, in March?

What did you think of Nimona? I loved that one. Do you read a lot of GNs?

>104 harrygbutler: Isn't that funny, Harry? I also think its really interesting that there are characters that I picture from books totally differently than those in movies/TV. For instance, I always think of Davison as Campion, but I don't think of anyone I've seen on TV as Sayers' Peter Wimsey. I do think of Poirot as David Suchet (even though I read the books long before there was a show), but I don't think of anyone as Miss Marple (although for me to try to explain what I picture I would say she's a cross between Geraldine McEwan and Joan Hickson.)

>105 msf59: Hi, Mark. This is the first year I've planned my reading and I would say that's the big problem with planning - it can be difficult to fit in the unexpected. Although the book was good, there hasn't been a lot of activity over in the group read yet, so I'm sure if you picked it up in March you would not be far behind. It's a fairly quick read.

I haven't read Nimona yet - it was Keegan's Christmas present and he just finished, so I'll pick it up one of these days. His verdict was that it was a little weird, but he liked it. I read the first of her Lumberjanes series and thought it was weird as well - I know a lot of people liked it, and normally I like weird, but I just wasn't sure about Lumberjanes. I read several GNs each year - Keegan loves them, so I will read some of the ones he reads (they are mostly middle grade).

How are you liking Stranger Things, Robin? There's a "Beyond Stranger Things" on Netflix where a guy has sitdowns with the cast and crew. We really enjoyed it.

>107 jnwelch: Joe, we loved both seasons of Stranger Things. I think S1 was a little better than S2, but both of them were very good and we're all looking forward to season 3. I've watched most of the episodes of Beyond Stranger Things and have enjoyed listening to the cast and crew.

As I said over on Brodie's thread it is so hard for me to pick a favorite character, because I really like them all in some way. Favorites are Hopp, Joyce, Mike, El, Jonathan and the Dustin/Steve combo relationship in S2 - and of course Sean Astin (whose character's name escapes me right now!) What characters are your favorites?

>94 rretzler: How do you find The Detectorists? Mr SandDune watched it (and loved it) while I only caught bits and pieces. It seemed an incredibly British series, so I wondered how people found it elsewhere.

>109 SandDune: Hi, Rhian. It was incredibly British - but that was my favorite part of it, I think. I really liked it a lot and am looking forward to the 3rd series which I just found on Amazon. Toby Jones is such a great character actor and so is Mackenzie Crook. The relationships between the characters on the show are wonderful and it is a very well written show. The humor is very typically British, I think, but very gentle humor. Of course, I'm probably not the right person to ask how people elsewhere like it, because I tend to watch and like more British TV than I do American TV. My husband and sons also enjoy British humor and they quite liked it as well, so it's been a big hit in our house.

Just took a look at your profile and we seem to have a few things in common - I am also a 54 yo accountant - and I live with my husband, newly turned 16 yo old son, 12 yo son and our cats (no dogs, alas), and I also am working only part-time (but phasing down to retirement)!

<110 I also am working only part-time I'll have to update my profile - it's a little bit out of date now. I'm actually working full-time again, I seem to have phased-up a bit in the last couple of years! Retirement isn't very likely until my son has finished University, so we're thinking maybe when we're 62. But I do still have a husband, a son (18 tomorrow), a dog and a cat!

>111 SandDune: I probably should be phasing back up instead of down with 2 who will go to college in the next 5-6 years, but that's a story for another day. Happy birthday to your son! And 62 sounds like a great retirement age - I have a feeling with 2 going to college, that I will retire and then unretire so we can make sure we get them through school and I have a feeling that 65+ is likely a more realistic retirement age for my husband, sadly.

>108 rretzler: I'm a pushover for El and Hopper on Stranger Things. That Dustin is a little charmer. And I like the Nancy-Jonathan romance, and Steve turning out to be a decent bloke after that bullying start.

>106 rretzler: I guess I would picture Poirot as Suchet. I don't have a mental image of Miss Marple at all. Erika and I both preferred Geraldine McEwan's outings, although our favorites might be Margaret Rutherford's films in terms of fun. Joan Hickson actually seems to fit my image of Miss Silver.

>113 jnwelch: Joe, I really like the Nancy-Jonathan romance, although I do feel a little sorry for Steve, now that he has turned out to be a decent guy.

>114 harrygbutler: Hmmm, Harry, I hadn't thought of Miss Silver, but I could imagine her being like Joan Hickson. Margaret Rutherford was indeed a lot of fun to watch, but I always picture Miss Marple as staid and proper and IMO Margaret Rutherford was the opposite! When I think of Miss Silver, I am always reminded a little of Miss Climpson from Dorothy Sayers for some reason. As I went to search for Miss Climpson's name just now because I couldn't remember it, I saw again a description of Lord Peter and I was reminded that the description "average height, with straw-coloured hair, a beaked nose, and a vaguely foolish face" always makes me picture David Hyde Pierce of Frasier(without the beaked nose.)

Today Beckham was fever-free so he went back to school, but Keegan was feeling nauseous so he stayed home. I never feel very productive when the boys are home from school - I spend a lot of time making food for them, getting them something to drink, watching a movie or show with them - but then I think about just spending time with them and how great that is, and realize that it doesn't matter how much I get done as long as I can spend some quality time with them.

Tomorrow we are traveling to Wooster, OH for the weekend. We will be attending the Celebration of Life for Ed's father, who passed away in December at age 89. Ed's family - his older sister Courtney, her husband John and daughters Sophie (20) and Natalie (17) from NYC, NY; older brother Jim, his wife Peggy from Wooster, and sons Josh and wife Bethany (from Las Vegas), Chris and wife Sharon (from Portland) and Andrew (from Wisconsin); younger brother Dave, his wife Aimee and kids Cole (16), Harry (13) and Emmy (12) from Nevada City, CA; and younger brother Ross from Oakland, CA - will all be together for the weekend. I'm a little sad because with both parents now gone and the siblings living so far apart, it may be some time before we are all together again.

I love your reading and watching updates, Robin. It is so much fun to have a family that reads. I love Allingham and am determined to read through the series in order and read the ones I have missed. Mystery Mile is my next one, one I've never read. Maybe next month?

I am rewatching Dr. Who as well, but I started with the modern series. David Tennant is still my favorite.

Enjoy your together time with your in-laws, Robin.

Safe travels and hope you enjoy some time with your family!

Hi Robin!

I hope the weekend visit and Celebration of Life go well.

Wishing you a good weekend Robin!

Good Saturday, Robin!

>76 rretzler: Glad Genius Night went well! Nice looking shoes too :0)

Hope all went well in Wooster for the Celebration of Life for Ed's dad. What a nice large family! I'm sure a lot of reminiscing was going on and probably brought laughter as well as a few tears.

Safe travels.

Safe travels, Robin and I wish you all the best at the Celebration of Life. Take care.

All caught up with you, Robin. Hoping that your weekend went well and wishing you safe travels back home. Sorry to hear about the flu that won't go away there - we are doing that with a cold, just passing it around amongst ourselves. Heh.

SO fun to see what all of you are reading and watching. The Great Gatsby is one of my all-time favorites, so I am hoping that Beckham doesn't hate it. And I liked Nimona when I read it several years ago - it is weird but also fun. I have Arthur and George out from the library, but I haven't dipped into it yet.

Hoping that the week is kind to you.

>117 BLBera: Beth, you'll have to let me know what you think of Mystery Mile when you read it. From the ratings on LT, GoodReads, and Amazon, it doesn't seem that people like it, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. I can't think why no one likes it unless they just don't like Campion. I've rewatched the new Doctor Who so many times, that I thought a rewatch of the old was in order. It's been a few years since I've done a rewatch. I'm not sure who my favorite Doctor is - I actually like all of the new Doctors, but each in a different way. My favorites of the old are Tom Baker and Peter Davison.

>118 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>119 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. The visit and celebration went well, although the visit was much too short!

>120 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella. I hope you had a great weekend as well.

>121 Carmenere: Don't you love those orange shoes, Lynda? The dress-up only goes so far! Of course, we had dress shoes for him at one point, but he seems to grow out of shoes much more quickly than clothing, so I've given up on the shoes! 😜

>121 Carmenere: Thanks, Deb.

>123 Crazymamie: Much easier to catch up with me, Mamie - your thread is going wild. 😉 I'm not sure how Beckham will feel about Gatsby - it's not really his type of book, so we'll see how it goes. I think one advantage that he will have (which I did not) is that he will gain some insight from having read and discussed it in class - I read it on my own, which is probably why it is not a favorite. Perhaps if I had had more insight into it, I would have appreciated it more.

I've only seen the old Dr. Who in bits, so I don't have a favorite. I've always been a streaky viewer. I started rewatching the new from the beginning to catch the ones I've missed, but since binge watching for me is two episodes, it's going to take me a while.

I think Gatsby is wasted on high school students; I appreciated it much more when I reread it as an adult.

Gatsby is on my list to read this year, so I guess I'll see how that goes!

The Celebration of Life went well this past weekend - many people from the Wooster attended. My father-in-law (along with his parents originally) owned the town's hardware store from the early 50's until around 2003 and he was an important player in the Wooster business community for many years. He touched the lives of many people with his business and then afterwards his volunteer work.

I enjoyed myself as well. On Saturday evening, many relatives gathered at the house and I had a very good conversation about books and reading with some of Ed's cousins. Coincidentally, his cousin, Eleanor is reading Arthur and George right now, which I just finished. I rarely ever get to talk about books in any kind of depth outside of LT, so it was really fun to be able to do so. It really makes me want to find a quality book club, but I've been looking for one for some time and just can't seem to find one that fits.

>125 BLBera: I actually read Gatsby as an adult, Beth, and unfortunately didn't get anything out of it. (Perhaps that's because I haven't really grown up yet! LOL!) There just wasn't anything or anyone relatable to me.

If you ever watch old Who, honestly, I would start with the 4th Doctor, Tom Baker and watch all of his episodes and all of the 5th Doctor Peter Davison. Then time permitting watch the 3rd Doctor, Jon Pertwee and then the 7th Doctor, Sylvester McCoy. IMO, I would skip Doctor 6 altogether - and catch what you can of the first and second Doctors. I've been a fan since the early 80s, so I was watching some of the episodes as soon as they were broadcast in the states! There were some very long years for me when the local station that had broadcast Doctor Who stopped showing the reruns in the early 90s, but there was the movie in 1996 (it wasn't great but at least it was Doctor Who) and then finally in 2005, the reboot.

>126 foggidawn: foggi, I hope you enjoy it more than I did. I'm glad I read it, but I don't think I'll ever reread it.

And speaking of classics that I know I will never reread - I really disliked The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. I usually don't hate a book, but I have no understanding of why that book is an actual classic. Intellectually, I understand that the stream of consciousness aspect was something new at the time, and it very frankly dealt with coming of age in a way that had not been done before, and it is a semi-autobiographical account of Joyce's life, but I guess to all that, I have to say, so what? I feel like its a little like the emperor's new clothes - just because someone tells me that its a great book, doesn't really mean that it is...

I've read a lot of reviews and critiques of it in an effort to understand why it should be so important, but no one really says anything that makes sense to me, other than it was something new and modern.

Perhaps if anyone likes it, they can give me a more coherent explanation of why I should care about it.

I read the Joyce in college in a lit class, so while I didn't love it, I very much appreciated it on a number of levels. Unfortunately, it's been so long, I can't really remember much!

But I am a fan of The Great Gatsby, so to each her own :)

I asked questions last year for a while and then completely forgot about it, but thinking about The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man makes me wonder if other people have a book that they dislike as much as I dislike that one. So...

---

Question

Is there a book that has made a very negative impression on you? One that you know you would never read again, and that you would never read another work by the same author?

---

See >129 rretzler: for my answer.

>130 katiekrug: That brings up a good point, Katie. I never had to read many classics in HS or college, so I didn't get the benefit of having someone more knowledgable explain the nuances to me. It makes me wonder if I would have enjoyed Gatsby more or even the Joyce more. I took a SciFi class in college and loved it. The prof was very knowledgable and pointed out so many things that never occurred to me. I sometimes wonder how he knew when he would say "now what the author meant here..." I did so much underlining and writing in the margins when he would discuss the books in class, and I still have many of those books. I really wish that I could read every book that way, with someone pointing out to me those subtle things that the author may have put into the work that I did not catch.

>131 rretzler: For me, the most obvious example would probably be McTeague. I loathed it, and I've avoided Frank Norris ever since.

Robin, somewhere along the line I had to read a book by Margret Atwood for school. I can't even remember which one it was for certain, maybe even The Handmaiden's Tale, and it's made me promise never to like her or her books. I did re - read of The Handmaiden's Tale a couple of years ago and I still loathed it. And here I'm supposed to be a good Canadian and like her. But I don't. In high school there seemed to be a big focus on dystopian lit and I really did not care for it then and I don't like it now. I don't even watch the TV programme. I shall not mourn when Margaret Atwood passes.

That aside, I really loved new Flavia de Luce. So satisfying!

>131 rretzler: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. I also really hated To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway, but I did like his A Moveable Feast.

>127 rretzler: ...his cousin, Eleanor is reading Arthur and George right now, which I just finished. I rarely ever get to talk about books in any kind of depth outside of LT, so it was really fun to be able to do so.
That is a nice coincidence.

>131 rretzler: I really had to think about this one, as usually when I dislike a book intensely I will put it aside.

But in school we had to read for our literature list, and I read De Avonden by Gerard Reve. And found it intolerably boring and very depressing. Never again. And of course the writing was good, because it was just what he intended.
Maybe I could now stand to reread it, as I have a different perspective now, and more distance.

I have thought of starting the 1001 books list, but then I would have to work my way through books that I don't think I'd like at all.

>133 harrygbutler: I've not heard of that one, Harry, but I think I'll stay well away from it.

>134 vancouverdeb: That's too bad about Margaret Atwood, Deb. Glad to hear you liked the new Flavia though. I was just reading somewhere that Alan Bradley only had planned 10 Flavia novels - but I recall shortly after reading the first one that he had only planned 8, so I hope he'll keep upping that number. I can't wait until the next one comes out because I think the new direction is going to be exciting. I can't believe after what was planned at the end of this one that he would only write one more book.

>135 Crazymamie: I've not read either of those, Mamie, but of course, I've seen the movie To Have and Have Not, which I believe is nothing like the book. Maybe not the best Bogey and Bacall, but not too bad.

Was you ever bit by a dead bee?

>136 LovingLit: It is, Megan! I had to ask her what made her pick Arthur and George to read right now, and she didn't really have a reason. I'm looking forward to more people finishing it so we can discuss it!

>137 EllaTim: Ella, that's what keeps me from totally deciding to do the 1001 books list. I've been picking and choosing from it for years, but I don't think I'll ever truly commit to it because of that. Plus there's no way I'm ever going to read Ulysses - it sounds like A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man on steroids! 😉

>131 rretzler: Salman Rushdie. I know there are people that love his writing but after reading Midnight's Children I doubt I will ever read him again.

Hi Robin!

To answer your question in >131 rretzler:: Virginia Woolf. I read Orlando in February of 2012 and got rid of everything I had on my shelves by her except A Room of One's Own, which I've still never read. I started Mrs. Dalloway around that time and have almost recovered from the trauma. I realize I'm in the minority, but I think she's seriously overrated.

>139 ChelleBearss: Chelle, I've never read Rushdie, but I've wanted to read Satanic Verses since it first came out. I think I'm shying away from it because I'm afraid that I'll have the same experience as you.

>140 karenmarie: Karen, you're not alone in your dislike of Virginia Woolf. I read To the Lighthouse some years ago and I did indeed think it was overrated. Another of those that I wonder what the big deal is. I still have Orlando on my wishlist as I saw the movie and liked it - but after hearing your thoughts, I'm certainly in no hurry.

>138 rretzler: The movie To Have and Have Not is one of my absolute favorites, and I will have to disagree about it not being the best Bogey and Bacall. LOVE that movie. It's right up there with The Big Sleep. But yes, it is nothing like the book.

>138 rretzler: >142 Crazymamie: I'll chime in agreeing with Mamie about the quality of the movie To Have and Have Not, which is a strong contender for best teaming of the two. I think The Big Sleep is better overall as a movie. Edward G. Robinson dominates Key Largo, and I find Dark Passage watchable but not a standout.

For those who want even more of Bogart and Bacall, they costarred in a radio program from 1951 to 1952: Bold Venture, which has some echoes of To Have and Have Not in particular. All the episodes are available for download from the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Bold_Venture_Singles.

>142 Crazymamie: >143 harrygbutler: I do like To Have and Have Not, I just like The Big Sleep the best and I've always liked Dark Passage second. Key Largo is definitely the last. Dark Passage doesn't have the same give and take between the two as The Big Sleep and To Have and Have Not, but plotwise, I find it better than To Have and Have Not. So if you're rating by the relationship between Bogey and Bacall, then yes, I guess I would give it to To Have and Have Not but if you're rating by plot, I feel that Dark Passage wins. The Big Sleep is the best for me because it combines the relationship and the plot. Just my opinion.

>143 harrygbutler: Thanks for the link, Harry. I will have to listen.

Fun fact - Bogey and Bacall were married and honeymooned at Malabar Farmwhich is about an hour up the road from me. The first weekend in March, Malabar Farm has a Maple Syrup festival, which is interesting and the maple sugar candy is yummy!

>144 rretzler: I've never been to Malabar Farm myself, but my parents (who live on the outskirts of Sandusky) visited ten years or so ago. I have to confess I've never read any of Louis Bromfield's novels, though I may have seen the movie version of Mrs. Parkington.

>94 rretzler: I loved Stranger Things! Although for some reason I was very resistant to trying it (I think I thought it would be too scary) and only caved after my work colleague kept going on and on about how great it was. We've just finished watching The Good Place which we both loved and now I'm not sure what our next Netflix series is going to be....

^We loved Stranger Things, too!

The Sound and the Fury is the only book I've left on a plane (because I didn't want it), and it turned me off to ever reading Faulkner again. Really disliked it.

>92 rretzler: Oh, how nice that you're updating what everyone is reading rather than just what you are reading. It's tempting to do that with my family, though really the only other one who reads regularly is Deirdre.

>131 rretzler: I hated Anna Karenina, but I can't say I'd never read another book by the author since I loved War and Peace before ever trying Anna Karenina. I DID complete the book, mostly because the guy I was dating at the time really wanted me to read it, but I only liked one character in the book, and it was NOT Anna. But I think part of that hate was due to the circumstances as well. I wasn't emotionally ready for the problems that Anna was facing. I couldn't relate to them. Plus, the boyfriend that made me read Anna Karenina was a bully and a jerk. He told me everything I read was "childish" (including, for god only knows what reason, Les Miserables) and that I needed to read like an adult. *rolls eyes He was my first boyfriend, so I didn't quite know when enough was enough with that guy. First and only time I dated a complete jerk.

>145 harrygbutler: I've never read anything by Louis Bromfield either, Harry, but LT seems to think I would like his fiction.

>146 souloftherose: It's funny, Heather, but I did not even think of it as being a horror show - I just thought it would be somewhat similar to the X-Files and shows like that, so I didn't think twice about watching it or having the boys watch it. But now after watching both seasons, I've been hearing it classified as horror. I'm glad I didn't hear that beforehand or I would have missed a great show! We've been watching all of the Marvel shows on Netflix. They are based on the comic books, but there is a lot more to them than that. I highly recommend Jessica Jones which is geared more towards adults. There are way too many great shows on Netflix!

>147 jnwelch: Joe, Faulkner is another author I've been putting off because I too have a feeling that I'm not going to like his work. I feel as though my education was sadly neglected because I wasn't required to read many of the classics and I'm trying to read them, but without that guidance that comes from a classroom setting, it is sometimes hard for me to appreciate their merit.

>148 The_Hibernator: Rachel, the rest of the family reads so slowly, that it's not too hard to keep up with their reading! They are more interested in watching YouTube videos. Ed used to be more of a reader until the advent of SmartPhone technology - between the two of us, we have the SciFi genre pretty well covered and he likes Grisham. Beckham will have a book that he reads on his own, but very, very slowly and Keegan will read graphic novels on his own but not much else.

That's too bad that your former boyfriend was a jerk - especially about books.

I've read a couple of Louis Bromfield's books: interesting, with a lot of strong regional detail, but kind of depressing ('literary fiction', perhaps?). Speaking of film adaptations, the one of his I should have read but haven't yet is The Rains Came.

It's funny that the books that most people seem to hate are those that are considered classics, which makes me wonder about the definition of a classic. There are some classic novels that I really enjoyed Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein, Nineteen Eighty Four, Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Brave New World, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, and many, many more. But there are many that I haven't enjoyed as much - To the Lighthouse, The Great Gatsby, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and a few others. I guess I read more for enjoyment instead of "improvement" and I enjoy things that have a good story and are relatable to me - plus I seem to have a soft spot for dystopian fiction. I'm not sure that explains my preference for some classics over others, but it is the closest I can come to an explanation.

Tuesday is our busy night. Beckham had Math Club after school tonight - once a month the participants take a 6 question math test and then the scores across the region (state? country?) are tabulated. The questions are progressively harder and it is very rare for someone to answer all 6 correctly. Keegan has drum lessons, and then his gifted session. So, now we're off to drum lessons!

>150 lyzard: There is quite a bit of regional detail in some of his work, I think. I've noticed several about the agriculture in and around the Malabar Farms area and mid-Ohio. Don't think I would be interested in those.

>151 rretzler: - I think like anything it's just about personal preference and taste. Like you, I can list lots of "classics" that I've enjoyed and lots that I haven't. Same for any old book. I think a "classic" just means something still being read X years later because enough people still find something of value in it.

>152 rretzler:

Whereas I find that the interesting part of his books, while I struggle with his characters. (Come to think of it, his books are rather like Edna Ferber's in that respect.)

I'm going to reread Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man this spring. I remember loving it. So, I will respond then. I didn't care for anything by James Fennimore Cooper, and I think Moby Dick is dull, and I will never read it again or make any students read it.

I think a lot depends on personal taste and how things are taught. I suspect many of us English teachers don't instill enthusiasm in our students...Also, quite honestly, the "Classics" were chosen by old white guys in the nineteenth century, so I wonder how relevant some of them are today. A lot of women writers got left off the list, and good luck finding any writers of color.

>155 BLBera: In high school, our class read The Count of Monte Cristo which we all loved. Some of our classmates who had another teacher for English that year read Moby Dick. Both classes loved the books. A lot of us decided to read the other class' book later. While it was okay, I don't think I had the benefit of being in the discussions which obviously created the passion for Melville's tale among those who read it. I don't know what he did to inspire such enthusiasm, but they were excited about their book. We sometimes felt cheated we weren't reading it although we loved The Count of Monte Cristo.

Robin, I think it's okay that I don't like Margaret Atwood. I'm not a fan of dystopian fiction, nor speculative fiction, so I likely was not going to have a thing for Margaret Atwood not matter what. That said, it seemed we had to read a fair bit of dystopian fiction in school, like Animal Farm, Nineteen Eighty Four, Farenheit 451, One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest, Catch 22, Lord of the Flies etc . When I think of it, they sure hammered on the dystopian theme in my school days. I'm not sure if it was thought that was relatable, or what?

Hi, Robin. I like your question about "bad books" but I am having a hard time coming up with anything I truly loathed and I definitely can't think of anything that caused me to never read anything else by that particular author.

I am disappointed by plenty of books, though, like Some Luck, which I thought I would love and it fell completely flat. (The good news here is, this saved me from reading the other 2 books in the trilogy). I am trying to get better about DNFing a book, if it is just not grabbing me.

>155 BLBera: Could it be that some books that are considered classics are just not very well suited for young people?

For exampe, I read Lord of the Flies when I was fourteen. The librarian said that maybe I wouldn't like it, that it was more for adults, but I tried anyway, and I really hated it. I think I would still dislike it, but it's easier to understand. For a teenager things are often very black and white, and this gave such a somber and negative view of people that I couldn't stand it.

>131 rretzler: What a nice question, Robin, good for some talk here :-)

Like >137 EllaTim: Ella I disliked the Dutch classic De avonden (recently a new English translation was published The Evenings). I didn't read it in highschool, I read it last year. This book has like Ulysses hard core fans, following the main characters footsteps. Just not my taste.
Two more vididly remembered books that I disliked, despite many lovers: The Master and Margarita and Wolf Hall.
ETA: Oh and just now two more disliked titles pop up: Gone with the Wind and The other Boleyn girl

I read some of the 1001 books list, not expecting I read them all, but I do keep track of them. I know I won't ever read some of that list, but it helps to broaden my readings.

>153 katiekrug: Katie, I absolutely agree with you, it's all a matter of personal taste. Thankfully we don't all like the same things - what a boring world that would be.

I guess my point about the classics is I wonder if there is ever a point that a classic can become an "unclassic." Someone long ago decided that some of these books had literary merit, but what if that literary merit isn't relevant any longer. Can literary merit depend upon the times that the book was written and after that time has long passed, does the book still have the same merit? Are we all just reading a bunch of books that we don't like because someone has decreed that they are classic? Do those people who still decree these books to be classic actually think that, or have they just embraced the rhetoric blindly? And what qualifies those who have decided that these books are classics to be able to decide for the rest of us? OK - I know I've gone a little far but the classics seem to be a more divisive group of books than any others, and perhaps that's the point. That makes me think that there might be a market for a set of annotated classics which try to explain the "classical-ness" of the book.

>154 lyzard: Liz, I find it hard to enjoy a book in which I don't like the characters - or at least one of them.

>155 BLBera: Beth, when you do, I would love to hear your thoughts on A Portrait of an Artist of a Young Man when you reread it. I agree that a lot of it does have to do with how they are taught - which I think may be the issue with people trying to read these books without guidance. But then I guess, if you have to read a book with guidance to enjoy it, is it REALLY enjoyable? It certainly wouldn't be accessible to everyone in that case. Great point about the classics being picked by old white guys - but haven't most things generally been? Sigh...

This makes me wonder if the classics should be accessible to everyone, i.e., capable of being read and understood by the person of average intelligence?

>156 thornton37814: Great point, Lori. I honestly think that the guided reading helps with the enjoyment of some of the classics that are not perhaps easily _________...(I'm not sure what I want to say here - understandable doesn't seem quite right - neither does accessible - decoded, maybe?)

>157 vancouverdeb: Deb, I didn't mean to imply that there was anything wrong with you not liking Margaret Atwood. As I said, it would be boring if we all liked the same things. Dystopian fiction is an area about which we must agree to disagree. I have no idea why I enjoy it so much. I don't even find dystopian fiction relatable necessarily, but there is something about it that just fascinates me.

>158 msf59: Mark, you must do a good job of picking books! I also try very hard not to DNF a book, which can sometimes be painful. I sometimes will even read the sequels of books I don't like - I don't know if something inside me thinks that maybe the next one will be better...

>159 EllaTim: Ella, that is a good point, I think. Sometimes our life experiences make a lot of difference in how we think about a lot of things. Plus, I think tastes change - when I was 10 or 11, I started reading horror novels - Stephen King had just come out with Carrie, and I read everything he wrote, plus a lot of other horror, and then when I went to college, horror didn't appeal to me anymore and still doesn't. The Lord of the Flies grew on me - I first read it probably in HS or college and I liked it, but I wouldn't say that I loved it. I read it again a couple of years ago, and I loved it. I don't know what changed it for me, but something gave me a greater appreciation of it.

>160 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. I've been thinking a lot lately about my reading and why I like the books I do. I haven't come up with any conclusions, but it is certainly interesting to find out what others think. I wonder if perhaps part of the issue with Gone with the Wind is because of its setting in the old South. We Americans have a unique historical perspective on that Civil War period - it is certainly taught extensively in our schools (at least at mine) - and without that perspective, perhaps the book is not as relatable. Plus it is an extremely long book... It is actually one that I read in a high school literature class, as well, so I'm sure that probably helped - plus I liked the movie!

>161 rretzler: You bring up a lot of good questions, Robin, and there is a LOT of discussion in academia about continuing to teach books from the canon because if we use only those, we are missing out on a lot of very good literature that may be more relevant to our students. My take is that in my intro to lit class I know that what we read may very well be the last books the students ever pick up (sad, I know - but one of my students recently told me the last book he read was Hatchet). So, I balance literary merit with relevance, and hopefully point students in a direction of things they might like to read on their own in the future. My ultimate goal is to have readers at the end of the semester.

>131 rretzler: Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. I read it because it was a foundational book in Susan Wise Bauer's The Well Educated Mind but I loathed the book.

Hello Robin! I hope all is well with you.

>159 EllaTim: >161 rretzler: I read Lord of the Flies in high school and think that is probably the earliest that it should be read. I don't know that it is reserved for adults. It has has adult themes, but themes that I think high schoolers could engage. I was fascinated by it because I identified with the main character. I wanted there to be peace, I wanted there to be brotherhood, but I also understood that a pecking order rises in any society, high school included. I remember then ending and questioning whether it was a cop out. In retrospect, it's not, but it leaves the reader with a what now question to ponder.

>162 BLBera: Beth, I think my HS teachers thought that way even in the late 70s. I had a HS lit teacher who was phenomenal - we read A Bell for Adano, Gone with the Wind and The Old Man and the Sea along with a couple of others that I don't recall. I think they were all great picks for HS because they all had an interesting story. But the class was an optional class, so those who took it were already more interested in literature than the average person. I was slightly surprised that Beckham's teacher picked Gatsby, but it makes some sense since the Lit class that he is taking is taught along with AP American History - I would assume that they're probably working on the 20s right now. It's so sad to me that students are readers - but there is so much more to compete with their attention these days since the advent of the smartphone.

>163 Oberon: Erik, I just picked up The Well Educated Mind from the library, but after some reflection about having planned my reading out for the year, I think I may just buy a copy and take my time going through it. I've always wanted to read Pilgrim's Progress since I read Little Women in the 3rd grade, but have never gotten around to it - I suspect because I don't think I'll like it.

>164 brodiew2: Hi, Brodie. I think HS is probably a good age for it. You have some great thoughts about it, especially being able to identify with the main character. Even as a female, I felt I could identify with Ralph, I guess as an "everyman" (or should I say "everyperson") character. From the beginning, I always felt really badly for Piggy, too.

>163 Oberon: >165 rretzler: I'm a fan of Pilgrim's Progress, but then I have a liking for the genre of allegory. Last year, Liz (@lyzard) and I had a shared read of Bunyan's The Holy War, Made by Shaddai upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World; or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul, another allegory that I thought worked well.

>161 rretzler: Hi Robin, good points. I think at least some wonderful classics benefit from explaining. Like Shakespeare, lots of word play, but some of it hard to get because language has changed.

Someone here in the group mentioned she was following a podcast where a book by James Joyce was read and explained over a year. That could be a good way to get that background that could help appreciation. I'm sorry I have forgotten who mentioned this and what book it was about.

I looked at a list of bestsellers of the last 100 years, quite interesting, some books have lasted, others I had never heard of.

>165 rretzler: I am a big fan of The Well Educated Mind and am still working my way through the recommended books as part of RL bookclub. I just hated Pilgrim's Progress and that was your topic question!

>169 Oberon: No, Erik, I got that you liked The Well Educated Mind and were answering my question with Pilgrim's Progress. I was just saying that I've had Pilgrim's Progress on my wishlist for many, many years, but I keep putting it off because I suspect that I, too, will not like it, but I have this desire to read it since it was mentioned in Little Women. Also that I was going to read The Well Educated Mind and just got it from the library. However, since it seems to be a much bigger time commitment than I can face right now, I think I'm going to buy instead of borrowing it and go through the books when I can fit them in, over the years, possibly.

I read Pilgrim's Progress in English lit in college.

Definitely need to pay more attention over here. this sounds like my kind of conversation. 😎

>171 thornton37814: What did you think of it, Lori? Do you think you benefited from the guided read?

>172 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie. I'm really enjoying this conversation too!

>173 rretzler: It was fine. I enjoyed some days of the discussion more than others, depending on the section.

>174 thornton37814: The verdict seems to be pretty split on Pilgrim's Progress, I'd say

Hi Robin and happy Sunday to you.

I have a lovely old copy of The Pilgrim's Progress that I keep for its being a collectible - it was given to one "Eliz Jane Bouch" as "Reward of attendance Charlotte Street Sabbath School Jany 1873". I think Bill's Mama had it on her shelves. I'd have to get another copy to actually read, but I think, just looking through it, that after having read the entire Christian Bible last year, I'll pass on religion for a while. *smile*

>106 rretzler: a cross between Geraldine McEwan and Joan Hickson What very different-looking Miss Marples. My mind is slightly boggled.

>131 rretzler: I have read a few books I've really disliked. There have been a couple where I really enjoyed the books and then, wham, second book in the second series there's a rape scene out of the blue for no rhyme or reason I could ever fathom. We did Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm in the first couple of years of secondary school and I didn't like the people even the good guys became in the end. And Blackmantle was a fantasy where one of the characters was made out to be the bad guy but it was badly written and then it gradually dawned on me that the author had based it on events in her life, which made it more uncomfortable. But usually, 3 stars is my lowest rating, I think.

>176 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Very cool to have a copy of The Pilgrim's Progress that Bill's Mama had. Is Eliz Jane Bouch any relation to Bill? I don't blame you a bit for not delving into it after reading the entire Bible - that would be an awful lot of religious reading!

>177 humouress: It does sort of boggle the mind, doesn't it, Nina? I also rarely give books lower than 3 stars - I think I'm pretty picky in what I choose to read, if I don't think I'll like it, then even if I think for some reason I might want to read it, I'll put it off. Thus, most books that I read, I typically enjoy.

We're having a fairly lazy weekend. Friday evening, we went to see Marvel's Black Panther, and it was a fantastic movie. Very thought-provoking, but I think many of the Marvel movies include at least some element that is relative to issues in society. The last two Marvel movies - Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther - have been outstanding, as was Doctor Strange and all for very different reasons. I have to say that I'm a big fan of just about everything that Marvel has been releasing these days.

Yesterday, I finally turned over the team administrator's position for Beckham's U17 soccer team (only a few more things to give to the new team admin and I will be done.) Keegan had practice and then an indoor game, where he had 3 goals and a number of assists! Today, we have done absolutely nothing - I have been reading - I finished Murder in Bloomsbury which is a regency mystery that was enjoyable and started No Man Dies Twice, which is set in 1943 Germany. It is mainly a murder mystery with a little bit of espionage and I'm also enjoying it.

The boys have tomorrow and Tuesday off from school, so we need to think of some fun things to do. Perhaps we'll play some board games or a family video game or two. On Tuesday, it's supposed to be in the 70s!

13. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer



Original publication date: 2006
Genre: Middle Grade/YA
Source: Audible
Format: Audio
Type: New
Series: The Last Survivor
Page count: 352
Audio length 9 hours 2 minutes
Narrator Emily Bauer
Challenge(s): Audiobook, ReadHarder, TIOLI, Modern Mrs Darcy, PopSugar
Finished: 1/29/18

Miranda is an average 16-year-old girl, concerned with boys, friends, driving, and social activities. Her parents are divorced, and she lives with her mother, her younger brother, Jonny, and her older brother, Matt, who is away at college. They live in a small town in Pennsylvania. Her father has remarried, and he and his young wife have just announced that they are expecting their first child. One evening the world tunes in to watch a giant asteroid pass by the Moon; instead, it crashes into the Moon, knocking it out of orbit and much closer to the Earth. The Moon’s new orbit causes tidal waves, volcanos and other natural disasters which cause temperatures to plummet and volcanic ash to block the sun. Those who survive must learn how to cope in the new world, and Miranda records her families struggles in her journal.

My younger son’s teacher recommended this book to him, and we listened to the audio version, narrated by Emily Bauer. The premise of the book was intriguing – an apocalypse started by the Moon being knocked out of orbit, and at first, I thought the book was interesting. However, although the book does deal with some heavy issues regarding death, it mostly deals with the mundane part of surviving an apocalypse – finding food, water, warm shelter and keeping healthy. There is little action in the book. It is a very calm apocalypse; everyone seems well-behaved and non-violent, so I have to question whether the book is actually realistic. At one point in the book, as gas was is rationed and food hard to find, Miranda’s mother drives Jonny to an out-of-town baseball camp for several weeks. Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but in that situation, I would do everything I could to keep my family together, not leave one of my children at a baseball camp. From the standpoint of watching Miranda grow from a typical teenage girl to a young woman who took care of her flu-ridden family, saving them from a carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty wood-burning stove, the book is a success. However, one can only listen to so much talk about skipping meals and sharing cans of mixed vegetables before it starts to become tedious.

I thought Emily Bauer’s voice was a little too optimistic about everything. It seems like her voice rose happily at the end of every sentence, and how happy and optimistic can one actually be when facing their own death and that of their family.

I feel as though I should have liked this book. I didn’t dislike it enough to stop listening, but I wasn’t crazy about it either. Meh!

Sorry to see that was a meh book, Robin.

But yay for the Black Panther movie! We loved it, too. And I agree - the recent Marvel movies have been excellent. They've been very different, but one common element has been good moments of humor.

>181 jnwelch: Glad you liked Black Panther too, Joe. I have to agree, the humor was good - especially with Thor: Ragnarok, which was unexpected, at least to us. I loved all the strong female characters in Black Panther - I think everyone hero and villain alike turned in very good performances, though.

A quick stop by to wish you well, Robin. xx

>183 PaulCranswick: Glad you could visit Paul! xoxo

Hi Robin
>180 rretzler: I liked the book more than you did. It sounds like the audio was a little annoying. I, however, didn't make it through the trilogy.

Good morning, Robin!

I've never read Pilgrim's Progress. The interest has not been high.

I have been reading Gone Crazy in Alabama aloud to my family. I love reading out loud. The story is quite good.

>185 BLBera: Beth, I think if I had read it, and read it straight through, instead of stretching it out over 2 1/2 months or so (when Keegan and I were the only ones in the car,) I may have liked it more. I just kept thinking about what I would do, and I know I certainly would not have kept washing the sheets like they did after the power went out! 😜

>186 brodiew2: One Crazy Summer is the first I've read of Rita Williams-Garcia and so far I like what I'm listening to. I don't know whether Keegan will want to keep up with the trilogy, he's starting to outgrow the Newbury/Middle Grade books, but I think I'll probably read (at some point) PS Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama.

Last week, when we were talking about going to see Black Panther, I told them that I always think of the Black Panther Party from the 60s and 70s, which we then discussed. A day or so later, Keegan and I started to read One Crazy Summer and I realize that the girls attend a Black Panther rally in the book.

>187 rretzler: Yeah, I didn't realize I picked up the third in a trilogy until we were already invested in the story. It is dramatic and funny and heartfelt. I love it.

>188 brodiew2: Brodie, that happens to me all the time, especially with the kid's books. The only reason that I'm actually on the first book of the trilogy is that we happened to buy it at a book fair when Beckham was in elementary school (before the other two even came out,) but Keegan and I hadn't read it yet.

>188 brodiew2: Hate it when that happens. You get all invested and then realise you’re missing half the plot.

"Can literary merit depend upon the times that the book was written and after that time has long passed, does the book still have the same merit?"

I love what you said here. (Don't know yet how to do the italicized thing yet and am too lazy right now to figure it out). I find that I'm not a fan of most of the classics. I think a big part of it is because I am a product of my time.

I really didn't like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and have struggled to want to read anything more by Mark Twain. Anne Frank was another I never liked. The Great Gatsby, but I blame a lot of that on having to read it in high school. Most of what I've read by Stephen King so far has put me slightly off him, but I'm still wanting to give him a few more shots.

>190 humouress: I guess you just have to hope that the author has put enough backstory into the subsequent books that you don't miss reading them. Some work fine as standalones, but others...not so much.

>191 Kassilem: Thanks, Melissa. It's funny that you mention Stephen King, I couldn't read anything by him now, but I started reading his books when they first came out in the mid-70s, so I was around 10 or 11 and horror intrigued me. For me, it was definitely a pre-teen/teen phase that I really have no interest in. In fact, the only book by Stephen King that I would ever read again might be The Stand - it started out with such a great apocalyptic story, but I wasn't really crazy about the turn it took in the end.

>76 rretzler: Keegan looked very handsome for his genius night photo!

Loving the book merit discussion here, but way too tired to contribute in any sort of meaningful way tonight. LOL.

>188 brodiew2: Ha! I just started the third in a series today without having read the first two. It is somewhat a stand alone, so I am just going to push through and then maybe I'll go back to book 1. ; )

>149 rretzler: I've enjoyed the Marvel shows on Netflix but stalled on the second season of Daredevil for some reason. I'd like to watch Jessica Jones but it was another one that I was a bit worried would be too dark for me (I really am a wuss when it comes to TV shows).

>179 rretzler: I've seen a lot of positive reviews of the new Black Panther movie - we don't manage to get to the cinema very often but I'm hoping this is one we do manage to go and see.

>193 Berly: Thanks, Kim. You'll have to come back and join in when you're less tired. 😉

>194 souloftherose: Heather, the second series of Daredevil was not nearly as good as the first, IMO. And yes, Jessica Jones is a little dark but very well-written. It is definitely my favorite of all the Marvel/NetFlix series. If you don't like dark, I would definitely stay from The Punisher, but I'm sure you probably got a sense of that from Daredevil.

We love the Jessica Jones series. Can't wait for it to come back out. It is dark, for sure, but so good. Kristen Ritter is great in the part. David Tennant was such an unsettling villain in the first go-through, wasn't he.

>189 rretzler: >190 humouress: >193 Berly: I think Williams-Garcia does an excellent job of filling in the gaps. Every author worth their sale will sprinkle in the element of previous volumes in a series, given that they never know what book a read will get their hands on.

>191 Kassilem: As for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I've always enjoyed it. I like mischief maker and I try not to get bogged down in the language of the time. The scene near the beginning when Tom verbally spars and then physically fights with the 'citified' boy is a one of my favorites.

>196 jnwelch: We really enjoyed watching David Tennant as Kilgrave, Joe. Only a little over two weeks to go for season 2!

>197 brodiew2: I think you're right about that, Brodie. I just finished a book in a series that I've read very sporadically and haven't enjoyed that much anyway. There was quite a bit of mention of things that had happened in previous books, but only that - a mention - and no attempt to explain. I don't know if the author put them in to try to make one interested in the previous books, but it didn't work for me. It would have been much better not to have those mentions. Of course, I don't think much of that author anyway.

So I find myself very frustrated (that is the nicest way I can say what I'm feeling - I actually have much stronger emotions right now) and need to vent. We just got back from taking Beckham to his annual physical (for his 16th year), with the pediatrician that we have gone to ever since he was born and have always liked. When we got there, the nurse (that I don't really care for) told Beckham to go to the room where his height, weight, hearing, and vision is checked. I started to follow him in, and she tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Nope, you're in there." Ok, so a little rude, not a big deal. Beckham comes back into the room, and she does not - and I have in my hand his book (the one to keep track of height, weight, vaccinations, etc. when he was born). I knew that she wouldn't come back in and fill it out and that I was going to have to chase her down, as I have had to do with this nurse in the past, so a little sigh there. Then the doctor comes in and starts asking questions - after a minute he says he has some private questions to ask, something that he has started to do this year, and asks Beckham if he wants me to stay or go. The doctor then stresses that these are private questions and that Beckham may not want me in the room. I'm a little more frustrated now as I go to sit in the waiting room, thinking that as soon as they're done, I will be asked back in the room to ask the questions that I have - especially as I told Beckham that we needed to make sure that the doctor checked him to see if he had a sinus infection. Quite some time later, Beckham comes out and says he is done. No book completed, no mention of a sinus infection and none of the things that I wanted to talk to the doctor about brought up, because of course, I was not in the room. Feeling very frustrated now, I tell the receptionist that I guess I'm going to have to book another appointment since Beckham needs to be checked for a sinus infection, and I hand her the book. She looks at the book and says "What do you want me to do with this?" Hmmm, I think. The doctor hears and starts to ask Beckham to come to the back so he can look at him. After Beckham goes back, he then says he thinks Beckham should come back on Thursday. I think he saw the look on my face and took Beckham into another exam room, coming out a minute later to ask me if I think I'm just impatient about the sinus infection. (I rarely ever take the boys in for something unless it is lingering or serious - consequently, they may only be at the doctor once, rarely twice a year and the doctor has always has trusted my opinion before.) So, I take a deep breath and tell him that the drainage has been going on for over 3 weeks, since it started before he had the flu (17 days ago), which I don't think is being impatient and I rattle off the list of OTC medications that we have used to try to stop the drainage for the past three weeks. BTW, Beckham's mucus has been somewhat yellow, an indication of a possible sinus infection. Beckham now comes out of the exam room with a prescription for antibiotics, but no indication of whether the doctor thinks he has a sinus infection or is trying to placate me.

Now I completely understand that there may be some things that Beckham doesn't talk about in front of me, but the doctor didn't really give him a chance to make up his mind, he basically told Beckham to tell me to leave. Plus, Beckham is still a minor, and I do not think it is appropriate for a parent to not be included in health discussions. After the private part, the doctor should have asked me to come back into the room, IMO. I am now put in a position of seeming to be invading my child's privacy if I ask him to tell me how the appointment went. IMO, this is unbelievable and unacceptable.

Definitely strange, Robin. I know my wife and I would be feeling the same discomfort. What did Beckham say about the the private questions the doctor had? I'm not sure I follow everything that happened, but separating a minor from his/re parent would not sit well with me.

>200 brodiew2: Brodie, I didn't ask him - I really felt that based on the way the doctor presented it to both of us, if I asked Beckham about the visit, I would be invading his privacy. I'm still trying to figure out how to broach the subject with him in a way that shows that I'm not trying to worm my way into something private that he doesn't want to discuss.

Ed didn't know the whole story when he came home from work and asked Beckham how the appointment went. All Beckham said was "OK" which is very typical for him.

I might be okay with the private questions as long as once they were over I was allowed to come back into the room for the rest of the exam - especially discussions related to exercise, nutrition, sleeping habits, and general overall well-being. I wanted to ask the doctor about the sinus infection, and I also wanted to discuss with him the pneumothorax that Beckham had last year and how that still may be affecting his overall health. Beckham has never regained his fitness since then, and I'm unsure if the problem is physical or psychological or both. This would have been a perfect time to have that discussion.

If the doctor were asking questions related to Beckham's functioning as a normal teenage boy , i.e., erections, wet dreams, sexual activity, etc., I could see that the doctor would want to allow Beckham his privacy, and perhaps he may have even had questions about Beckham's relationships with his Ed and I, to make sure that Beckham knew that he had someone to talk to in case there were issues in our family (I'm reaching for answers now.) I could reasonably see those things being discussed without me in order to protect Beckham from embarrassment. But for me to not be able to participate in any of the discussion at all, especially when it comes to Beckham's health is just not acceptable. And I certainly don't like the way that I was hustled out of the room without giving Beckham a chance to express his opinion.

I realize that what I said was probably not the most coherent, I was very upset when I got home and just needed to vent.

I imagine the questions had to do both with sexuality and safety at home. And it's fair that Beckham be allowed to say some of that stuff privately. But Beckham should have been given a better choice rather than being pressured to ask you to leave. And you should have been given a much better opportunity to talk about your own concerns. This was very poor behavior by both the nurse and the doctor and I'm sorry you had to go through that.

As for rereading Stephen King, I can hardly get through one of his books the first time around. I love the STORY of The Stand, but couldn't even get a quarter of the way through the "original uncut version" or whatever it's called.

>201 rretzler: Oh, I wish you had barged in afterwards and asked your questions! But I know it’s very different when you’re on the ground. Our paediatrician is very popular and we have to sit for ages in the waiting room before we can see him. He’s always rushed off his feet, but makes the time to chat with me and tease the boys. But my husband will ask me later ‘Did you check this? Did you remember to ask that?’ by when, of course, it’s too late to ask the doctor.

When you do get a chance to ask Beckham, maybe you should work out a strategy for the next doctor’s visit in case the same thing happens again. I’m guessing she had a bad experience with another family and is now being over cautious with everyone else.

Robin, raising kids is a bit of a minefield at times, isn't i?. I'm sorry for your experience at the pediatricians. This gradual letting go is tough. I think our family doctor handled that better. At around the age of 12 or so, he would ask us - would our son prefer to come in on his own or would our son prefer to for the two of us to into together. Our family doctor assured me at the same time that if there was any real health concerns, we would discuss them altogether after the after my son and the family doctor chatted together. But had I objected, I'm sure my GP would have said - come on in.

Thanks for understanding the challenges of my anxious son and DIL with regards to the new baby. Their concerns and restrictions have been a bit challenging for me at times, but if at least I get to see our grand daughter, it's all good. I was assured of that last night, so I'm greatly relieved.

The parenting gig, it's not easy , is it ;-) Just when you think you have a handle on it ....... And I we also have two sons. Sons are not always super forthcoming , though my younger son - the one expecting the baby in March is quite cool headed and more forthcoming than our eldest. It's a minefield at times.

Oh boy, I'm so frustrated for you right now. It sounds like both the doctor and his staff all acted completely inappropriately! I'm sorry that happened - do you think you'll look for a new doctor?

Sorry to see you had such a bad experience at the doctor. It's understandable that teenagers be given the opportunity for some privacy with their doctor to discuss things that they may not wish to discuss with their parents, but it sounds like that could have been handled a lot better! Nurse sounds like a difficult one as well!

Perhaps you should express your concerns to the doctor, much as you did in >201 rretzler: -- you could write him a letter or email, maybe? I've heard that it's common practice nowadays for doctors to ask for time alone with teens, to ask questions about sexuality and whether they feel safe in their homes, etc. However, rude treatment such as you got from the nurse is never acceptable, and you should have had the chance to discuss any of your concerns (about the sinus infection, etc.) with the doctor. If the doctor's office doesn't know how displeased you were, they can't alter their treatment of you and other patients -- and if this is a new way of working with patients (I think you said he'd only started doing this over the past year), they definitely should get feedback about how it's not working.

>202 The_Hibernator: >203 humouress: >204 vancouverdeb: >205 scaifea: >206 ChelleBearss: >207 foggidawn: Thanks, Rachel, Nina, Deb, Amber, Chelle and foggi for your thoughts and comments.

Eventually, we will discuss this with Beckham, when I can collect my thoughts in a more rational matter. I find I have difficulty communicating my thoughts in a way that can be understood sometimes, as I have had difficulty above. Ed and I have always taught both boys that we would rather have them be honest with us, even though it may be something we don't like, and in turn we will not be angry with them if they have been honest with us. We have also been open with both boys, and especially more recently, Beckham, with regards to sex, and we encourage open dialogue. So while I may applaud what our doctor is trying to do by saving Beckham embarrassment, I also think that he may be encouraging secrecy, which I do not condone. I am certainly not saying that the doctor shouldn't have a private talk with Beckham, I just think that the doctor needed to understand our family's practice of openness so that he could help to encourage openness instead of secrecy, and that once that conversation was finished, I should have been called back into the room for the remaining discussion.

Ed and I are considering looking for a new doctor, but have not made a firm decision yet, as for the most part, we feel that Dr. Loar has been a fine doctor up to this point. I am going to send him a letter letting him know of my frustration - I started it yesterday, but realized that I needed to let a little time pass so that I could more rationally, rather than emotionally, communicate my thoughts.

And yes, it is certainly difficult to know what is best for your children, especially in this changing world.

'Nuf said - time to move on! 🙂

14. Somebody at the Door by Raymond Postgate



Original publication date: 1943
Genre: Mystery
Source: Netgalley
Format: Ebook
Type: ARC
Page count: 239
Challenge(s): PopSugar, Netgalley, Just the Facts Ma’am, British Book
Finished: 1/30/18

Henry Grayling, an accounting clerk in a London firm, takes the train home every evening to the small village of Croxburn, where he is the town councillor. Each Friday evening, he carries home a case filled with cash – payroll that he must deliver on Saturday morning to several offices of the firm that are near to his home. On this particular Friday in January 1942, he shares a train car with several people he dislikes – the Vicar of Croxburn, who is a fellow town councillor, a young man who is a chemist in his firm, a corporal from his Home Guard platoon, a young man with a club foot and a refugee German. Upon reaching his station, he and the other passengers disembark to find their way home in the moonless night. Later that night, the Vicar is called to Grayling’s home by Grayling’s wife, Renata, who informs him that Grayling is dying. Renata has also called Inspector Holly and Dr. as she found her husband on the doorstep, later than his usual homecoming, bloody and in a terrible condition. The empty case has been found down the road. After Grayling dies that evening, it is clear to Inspector Holly that he has been murdered, but he must determine first how Grayling was murdered before he can find the murderer.

Somebody at the Door is the second book by Raymond Postgate that I have read, both having been republished by the British Library and Poisoned Pen Press. As he does in The Verdict of Twelve, Postgate proceeds logically through the story, taking each of the suspects in turn and giving us their backstory complete with reasons as to why they may have wanted to murder Henry Grayling. The book doesn’t take the same format as a typical Golden Age mystery; instead, each chapter reads as its own individual story, with Inspector Holly’s investigation tying it all together.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The facts were laid out in a very logical, yet story-like, manner. There was no dearth of suspects; however, I believe one can follow the clues and arrive at the correct solution which was well thought out by the author. The methodical nature of the plot may not appeal to some, but I believe it will appeal to those who enjoy Golden Age detection.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

>209 rretzler: Mystery or misery? :0)

>210 humouress: Thanks, Nina. Good catch! Even Grammarly didn't get that one.

Robin - It's been a while since my kids were 16, but I think that's the age where our family doc also started to ask to see the kids alone. So, it might be common practice. However, it doesn't sound that you were communicated with very well, if that is the case.

>131 rretzler: Absolutely. It was The Third Secret by Steve Berry. It was a competent Vatican type thriller with a bonfide miracle as a plot point. The problem I had was the big reveal. I hold mostly conservative views which can be in line with Catholicism. What bugged me most, was the miracle flew in the face of most Christian or Catholic Doctrine/beliefs. It killed thriller and my interest in the author going forward.

>212 BLBera: Beth, that could be likely that it is common practice, but it definitely would have been nice to know that going into the appointment so that at the very least Beckham would have been prepared with a list of questions (not that I would have gotten the answers that I wanted to hear, but at least the questions would have been asked.)

>213 brodiew2: Brodie, I think that would have bothered me as well.

>214 rretzler: I haven't had that severe a reaction to an author before or since. But I am now more discerning when listening to Vatican or Templar or 'religious thrillers' written by popular authors. With Dan Brown, I said nope after his first, but I didn't find that book as well written as The Third Secret. I was highly disappointed. 'nuff said. :-

>215 brodiew2: Brodie, I find I am getting a lot more discerning about what I read.

I find that I am so far behind on reviews that I am going to stop visiting and concentrate on writing reviews today. Since most of the reviews I have are for ARCs, I feel as though I need to take a little more time with them, so perhaps I will write shorter reviews for the non-ARC books. That is unless I find myself on a roll, which is highly unlikely. 😜 Plus lots of laundry and straightening up the house for the cleaners, who come tomorrow - so I probably won't actually get all that many reviews done anyway.

Good luck with the reviews and the cleaning, Robin.

>218 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I'm not making much headway yet. Sigh....

>217 rretzler: I need to get busy reading. I had 2 books come in that were electronic book holds at the library. One of those was one I recommended. They purchased it, and I must have been first on the list. It's an audiobook, so I need to hurry and finish the present one so I finish this one before it is due. It shouldn't be a problem since I'm doing a research trip with kitties traveling during our upcoming spring break (technically in winter). I also have 7 or 8 ARCs at the moment. I noticed I'm #11 of 11 copies on another library hold so I suspect it will arrive before too long. I think I anticipate being behind in reading, but I make it a point to write reviews the same day or next day. It's the only way I'll remember what I need to include.

>220 thornton37814: Lori, I wish I had the discipline to sit down and write the review right after I read the book. It would probably make things a lot simpler for me.

15. A Dangerous Language by Sulari Gentill



Original publication date: 2017
Genre: Mystery
Source: NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Type: ARC
Series: Rowland Sinclair #8
Page count: 367
Challenge(s): NetGalley, PopSugar, TIOLI
Finished: 2/2/18

Rowland Sinclair, the younger son of a wealthy Australian family, has a reputation for causing scandal. Wilfred, Rowland’s older brother, presides over the family fortune and is influential in the conservative Australian government of the 1930s, while Rowland associates with bohemians and communists. Thinking that it will give him a chance to purchase a new airplane, Rowland agrees to secretly fly communist Egon Kirsch into the country to be a speaker at the All-Australian Congress Against War and Fascism. However, the government has barred Egon from entering the country. When a communist party member is found stabbed on the steps of Parliament House by Rowland’s friend Milton, whom the party member was on his way to meet, Rowland and his friends find themselves involved in several dangerous situations.

A Dangerous Language is Sulari Gentill’s 8th book in the Rowland Sinclair series. I had not read any of the previous books, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Each chapter of the book has as an epigraph a portion of a newspaper article. After reading the book, I believe that many of these articles may be real historical accounts from the newspaper, but I am not certain about all of them. I felt that the book meandered in several different directions as the author tried to insert historical events into the book. For example, at the start of the book, a woman’s body was found, which was initially thought to be Rowland’s friend Edna. However, Edna is soon found, and we learn nothing more about the body until the Epilogue. Gentill has attempted to write the book around Egon Kirsch’s actual trip to Australia in 1934, but there are just too many plot points to make the book come together well. I think had she stuck to one or two of these instead of the six or seven that I can think of, I would have enjoyed the story more.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and PanteraPress in exchange for an honest review.

Good luck with your reviews and cleaning. I find that entertaining that many people clean before the cleaners arrive!

>223 ChelleBearss: Oh, we don't clean - we just pick up all of the stuff so that the cleaners can actually clean. They do stuff like vacuum and dust, which they can't do if there is stuff all over the floor and the counters! 😜 I wish they would pick our stuff up, but that would be a never-ending job with 2 teenage boys!

16. Arthur and George by Julian Barnes



Original publication date: 2005
Genre: Fiction
Source: Overdrive
Format: Ebook
Type: Borrowed
Page count: 400
Challenge(s): TIOLI, British Book, Family Tree, PopSugar
Finished: 2/5/18

Arthur Conan Doyle grew up in Scotland learning tales from his mother of knights, chivalry, and right versus wrong. He became the author of many adventure stories like the ones he heard growing up and was the creator of Sherlock Holmes, arguably the most famous detective in fiction. George Edalji, whose father was a vicar of Indian descent and whose mother was an English woman, grew up in his father’s Great Wyrley vicarage. Many of the neighboring boys taunted George because of his mixed heritage. After he becomes a solicitor, George is accused of slaughtering neighboring farm animals. George’s trial is a farce, and after his sentencing, George’s fate comes to the attention of Arthur. Arthur, who is intrigued by the case and convinced of George’s innocence, works to obtain justice for George.

Arthur and George is an account of the actual case of George Edalji and Arthur Conan Doyle’s work on Edalji’s behalf to have his conviction overturned. The author touches on the lives of both men from their days as young children through the Great Wyrley case until the death of both men many years later. The majority of the book is written in a somewhat expository style with a little narrative sprinkled in. There is very little description in the book, and whereas I found the story itself interesting, the matter-of-fact tone of the book did not work to keep my interest. While I understood why the author chose the ending that he did, it seemed out of place for the book and didn’t work for me.

I’m glad I read the book because it is a part of Conan Doyle’s history that I did not know, and I found the story interesting, but I felt that if it had been written in a more narrative style, it would have been more to my liking.

>224 rretzler: Oh, I can imagine! With one toddler and a husband I am finding it hard to see the living room floor! If I pick up one more sock off the floor I may go mad!

>226 ChelleBearss: Chelle, I'm not sure what's worse - toddlers or teenagers! They both have their own particular brand of messes. With teens (at least teen boys), instead of toys, its dirty dishes and food wrappers. I've just resigned myself to the mess.

I find it very ironic that the more I like a book, the quicker I read it, and the less I like a book, the longer it takes me to finish. In between all the other things I did today, I managed to start and finish a 350-page book The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I tend to get lost in her books, like those of so many of my favorite authors. It's funny that there are some books where you are just reading words on a page and others that you can get so drawn into the story that you don't realize that there is an outside world.

>227 rretzler: food wrappers AAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

>228 rretzler: Same here, the less I like a book the slower my reading. But you can't really turn it around, some books need and deserve to be read more slowly.
And don't you just love that feeling of being immersed in a book.

>229 humouress: Nina, I'm with you - at least they manage to keep the food wrappers confined to their rooms, so I don't have to see them, but they are a big pet peeve of mine too.

>230 EllaTim: You're right, some books do deserve to be read more slowly. I just wish I could read the ones I really like more slowly, but I can't seem to help myself! I do love the feeling of being immersed in a book, and even the "book hangover" that comes afterward.

>199 rretzler: I'm a bit behind here, but when J started having mental health issues he was 17 and certainly the norm here is that most appointments have been for him alone with the doctor. It is very difficult to come to terms with, I agree. From 16 I think doctors here can only involve parents if the young person gives permission, unless they are a danger to themselves or others.

>232 SandDune: Rhian, it is certainly interesting how the laws and practices vary between countries and in the US they actually vary by state.

I think that many states have a consensus that young persons have the right to make decisions about their health care when it comes to issues that they may not want their parents to know - STDs, pregnancy, drug abuse, and I believe there might be one other topic, which escapes me right now. The age at which this can happen varies by state - in a few states this starts at 14, but in the majority at 16 or older. The state that I live in does not have a specific law. However, I believe that the law also holds parents responsible for their children's health care until they are 18. Emancipated minors can make decisions about all aspects of their health care. Under the federal health care privacy act (HIPAA), I believe minors also have the right at some age (and I don't know if the age is set by federal law or state law) to have privacy between themselves and the doctor regarding those same topics (STD, sexual activity, pregnancy, drug abuse) but not general health concerns - I'm paraphrasing here, but I believe I have the gist of the law correct.

Happy Friday, Robin. Good review of Arthur and George. I am not going to be able to get to this one, this month. Maybe, March? At least I have a copy on shelf.

Do you read a lot of Net Galley books? I have read a few in the past, but nothing recently. I have been reading more Edelweiss and have a couple to get to. It is tough to make time for these galleys, when I have so many books in the TBR to get through.

>234 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I do read a lot of books from NetGalley. I only discovered Edelweiss last year and got a couple from there, but I have too many to get through from NetGalley that I know I shouldn't request anymore for quite some time.

Too many books, too little time ...

Happy Saturday, Robin.

I'm enjoying The Power, which Mark recommended, and I have Walter Mosley's new one on deck. I hope you have a relaxing weekend with lots of good reading time.

>228 rretzler: I liked Elly Griffiths books except for the Occultic themes in them so I finally quit reading them. The strong emphasis on the Occult was just too much for me.

>236 humouress: So true, Nina!

>237 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe.

>238 thornton37814: Lori, the first book was definitely all about the Druids and Cathcart does feature in the next few a little, but although he is a recurring character in the rest of the books, he doesn't feature as much in the later books. But, I definitely get not reading something if you don't enjoy it. If you like Griffiths, you might enjoy her Stephens and Mephisto/Magic Men series.

M (YTD)

By the numbers

Books read - 16 (30)
Average days to read - 1.8 (2.0)

Pages read - 4,729 (8,642)
Average pages per book - 296 (288)
Average pages per day - 169 (146)

Series read - 11 (20)
Books in series read - 12 (23)

Longest book read - Assassin’s Apprentice
Pages - 464 (864)

Shortest book read - The Man on the Train
Pages - 52 (19)


Type

ARC - 9 (12)
Borrowed - 1 (2)
New - 5 (13)
Reread - 0 (0)
TBR - 1 (3)

Medium

Audio - 1 (4)
Ebook - 14 (25)
Print - 1 (1)

Genre

Fantasy - 1 (3)
Fiction - 1 (3)
Middle Grade - 0 (1)
Mystery - 13 (22)
Nonfiction - 0 (0)
Science Fiction - 1 (1)

Authors

Authors by book

Female - 11 (19)
Male - 5 (11)
Unknown/other - 0 (0)

Unique authors

Female - 10 (17)
Male - 5 (10)
Unknown/other - 0 (0)

Authors read for the first time - 5 (10)

Living or deceased - unique authors

Deceased - 5 (8)
Living - 10 (19)

Nationality - unique authors

American - 6 (11)
Australian 1 (1)
Canadian - 0 (1)
English - 8 (14)

Awards

British Book Award -
Caldecott -
Eisner -
Hugo -
National Book Award -
Nebula -
Newbery -
Pulitzer -

Ratings

5.0 - 1 (3)
4.5 - 2 (2)
4.0 - 9 (16)
3.5 - 3 (5)
3.0 - 0 (3)
2.5 - 0 (0)
2.0 - 1 (1)
1.5 - 0 (0)
1.0 - 0 (0)
0.5 - 0 (0)

Average rating - 3.91 (3.88)

Average rating of books read per LibraryThing - 3.91 (3.80)
Average rating of books read per Goodreads - 4.06 (3.96)
Average rating of books read per Amazon - 4.36 (4.28)

Decade published

1830 - 0 (1)
1840 - 0 (0)
1850 - 0 (0)
1860 - 0 (0)
1870 - 0 (0)
1880 - 0 (0)
1890 - 0 (0)
1900 - 0 (0)
1910 - 0 (0)
1920 - 0 (1)
1930 - 1 (1)
1940 - 1 (4)
1950 - 0 (0)
1960 - 0 (0)
1970 - 2 (2)
1980 - 0 (1)
1990 - 1 (2)
2000 - 1 (2)
2010 - 10 (16)


Books added to library

ARC - 8 (19)
Purchase - 65 (91)
Other -

Average cost per book - $2.42 ($2.77)

New releases - 4 (6)
Percent of new releases purchased - 5.48% (5.45%)

Full price - 7 (12)
Percent of full price books purchased - 9.59% (10.91%)

Favorite books of the month

That is one long roundup! Looks like February was a good month for you!

Hi Robin! I've been having a hard time keeping up with threads recently. So sorry the doctor's visit with Beckham was so poorly managed by them.

>240 rretzler: Great stats!

Happy Thursday, Robin! I've just caught up with about 100+ posts on your thread sooooooo
Your monthly question: I know I'm in the minority when I say The Handmaid's Tale is the most godawful book I have ever read in my life! My first Atwood was The Blind Assassin and I loved it but after THT I physically tossed all my Atwood's out the door.

I'm ashamed to say, although I'm a big Bogie fan, I've never been to Malabar Farm. Oh, we will stop there one day but after stopping at at Grandpa's Cheese Barn last month and being a bit disappointed a part of me just wants to keep the romantic story of Malabar in my thoughts and not be disappointed with it too.

Ahhh, yeah, I'd say the pediatrician's office dissed you big time. Up until Will turned 18, I would be invited into the examining room with him and I'd discussed with the dr. any concerns I had regarding vaccines he did or did not need, health issues etc. After he turned 14 or so, I'd excuse myself from the exam (I told Will beforehand I was going to do this) and return to the waiting room just because I assumed Will would feel more comfortable w/out me there. Once the Dr came out to me and gave me an overview. :0)

>241 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle.

>242 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. I too am having a difficult time keeping up with threads.

>243 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. Honestly, I wouldn't visit Malabar for the Bogie/Bacall connection, as I think it might be a disappointment. We usually visit during maple syrup time - which happens to be this coming weekend and the next. We also like the hiking around there and the restaurant is pretty good. I know what you mean about Grandpa's Cheese Barn! Your pediatrician visits with Will are exactly what I was expecting with Beckham - and pretty much how they had taken place until this one.

This is a good time for me to change threads - but I do have an update on Beckham and the pediatrician visit that I will share on the next thread.

As for my February stats, they are so much lower than the last two years (and probably beyond that.) For the past several years, I've typically read at least 20 books and 5,500 pages - so this year at 16 books and 4,729 pages, I've fallen short. Not that the quantity I read matters, but there are soooo many books I want to read that I feel a little down about not reading as much as I normally do.